Where Dragons Dwell
by Fetherhd
Summary: Every culture on Earth has legends of Dragons. If these powerful intelligent creatures of fantasy did exist...what happened to them? More important, what would happen if they decided to re-introduce themselves to humankind...a species they once hunted as prey! Disease and danger should be the least of Doctor McCoy's worries. Things on the Enterprise are about to get HOT!
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any of the Star Trek Verse. I can only borrow and play with their wonderful characters. This is a fan fiction. I make no profit except for a whole lotta fun from it.

This little bit takes place at the beginning of Kirk and McCoy's third year in the Academy… before the events of the first movie. It would be Aish'aylas first year.

Prologue

She truly hated it here. It was cold, damp and even inside, she was never warm enough. The Imperial Adviser had warned her that being on Earth would be a miserable experience. Of course, the malicious pleasure that had poured off her Elder sister as she passed this useless piece of information along should have been warning enough. That one never passed up an opportunity to make her life a living hell. Aish'ayla sighed as acid flooded her mouth in response to the memory. Closing her outer lids, she carefully swallowed, making sure the noxious stuff was channeled into her true stomach. She winced at the loud rumble produced in protest as it worked to neutralize the over-load while empty. It did not help matters when the cadet next to her nervously shifted to put a little more distance between them. She had been too anxious to eat what was offered in the cafeteria since she arrived and the warm mammalian scent of fear wafting off him just screamed "EAT me… I am DELICIOUS!" to her hind brain. It took all she had not to flick her tongue out to sample just a taste of the stress hormones that swirled around her at the slight motion. The savage image that played across her mind had her snapping her eyes open in shock. Aish'ayla pulled her long neck down into a tight unhappy S curve and shifted uneasily on her keel as she turned her attention back to her instructor. She would have to fill her rogue stomach at lunch, whether it wanted what was offered there or not. Being sent here was supposed to be a step towards improving her people's strained relations with the humans. Eating one of her classmates on her first day at Starfleet would most likely be frowned upon by all parties involved!

* * *

Leonard McCoy made his way towards a spot well on the fringes of the rapidly thinning late lunch crowd. He settled his meal on a shade dappled table mostly by feel, sharp hazel eyes scanning the passing faces for one in particular. He did not know why he worried, (yeah…RIGHT this was KIRK he was talking about) But at the beginning of every Academy year he could not help but wonder if the reckless kid would make it back after break. Jim had not shown up at their shared quarters last night and Leonard was sure that, this time, the damned fool had managed to get himself into trouble he could not slick tongue or fist his way out of! Missing the first day of Third year classes was NOT a good way to endear yourself to the higher ups. He had the rest of the year to thoroughly piss people off!

A flash of gold caught his eye. The smile that started on his lips pulled into a sharp frown as Jim's brilliant blue gaze caught his. At least the man had the decency to look embarrassed as McCoy took in the black and blue swelling that marred Kirk's usually handsome features. The fool was already whining as he changed course towards Leonard's table.

"Come on Bones…it's not as bad as it lo…HOT DAMN…will ya look at that…."

McCoy lowered his head and took a bite of soup. He would NOT respond to that ridiculous nickname and he certainly wasn't going to get suckered into google eyeing some poor first Year cadet that somehow made it on to Jim's Hotness rating scale.

"…. it's a Dinosaur!"

The last words that flew from his friend's bruised lips and a soft rustling behind him had his head snapping around hard enough to hurt his neck!

He choked on his soup as a scarlet striped, black as Satan's heart, eight-foot-tall nightmare rose out of the shadows under his shade giving tree. Its sinuous neck uncoiled lifting a long, saurian looking head well above his. SHIT…he had been fricken distracted when he arrived but Holy HELL how had he missed that?! Gold eyes stared coldly down the thing's narrow muzzle then flashed to the color of fresh spilled blood as they shifted to Jim who… oh my FREAKING God… continued his rapid approach. Before he could even think to grab and snatch, Jim was past him. The Dinosaur's eyes blinked back to gold and it took one hesitant step back, balancing on two oddly fragile looking legs and a long serpentine tail. McCoy could only watch in shock as it dropped what could only be its lunch. McCoy choked on a slightly hysterical laugh at the sight of the chopsticks held delicately in its three-fingered grip. The Doctor did not care what anyone thought about T-rex and its ridiculously short arms. This Dinosaur did NOT have that problem and his friend was well within reach of the sharp talons that tipped each long finger. There was that weird soft rustle again, and two even longer limbs that had been folded tightly alongside and on top of the creatures wide back shifted slightly. Holy CRAP… Wings…the fucker had WINGS!

Kirk's blue eyes widened. A dazzling smile of wonder lit up his face.

"Oh, My God… you have WINGS! You're not a Dino…you're a DRAGON…Can you fly!?"

Leonard froze as said wings pulled in tight against the dragon's suddenly taunt frame. Its whole body lowered into what could only be a predatory stance. This put it face right at level with Jim's. His smile flat disappeared at whatever he saw in those blazing red eyes.

* * *

Aish'ayla had waited until the very end of the late lunch shift to get something to eat. Rather than crouch at a table, (the chairs were not built to accommodate her tail) she settled on her keel in the shade of a tall tree at the edge of the common ground. Setting her tray down… she flicked her tongue out sampling her selection of Sushi in a way she could not while picking it out. Her nose was sensitive but her tongue was much more adept at sensing the chemical composition and freshness of what she was going to put in her mouth. Fish, not her favorite… she sighed…oh well, at least this meat was raw. She could eat her meat cooked but the burnt dry flavor tended to upset her stomach. Lifting the chopsticks that came with her meal Aish'ayla selected a piece, dipped it into a mix of wasabi and hot sauce then slipped it delicately between her teeth. At home, she would not have bothered with the elegant utensils, but she had found she rather liked using them. It had been made clear that eating with her hands was universally frowned upon and regular utensils were just…awkward. She was supposed to be trying to fit in here. She felt out of place enough as it was having to eat in a public area but her next class was too far away on campus to take her food back to her dorm. Besides…her roommate might be there and feeding while having to deal with the females very evident fear would have been… difficult. Her train of thought was interrupted as she noticed a human approaching her chosen tree. Aish'alya pulled her head down and stilled as it looked right at her without really seeing. She smothered a snort…that was a good way to get yourself killed in her world! Manipulating her mouthful between her crushing teeth, she chewed once and swallowed emptying her mouth so she could release her tongue. She had to wait a moment for her buffering chambers to clear as the wasabi made itself felt, before she could pull in any sample of its scent. Ah…HE was an older male. Not an Elder, but older than usual for a cadet. His underlying smoky sweet essence was overlaid with the sharp chemical smells that she associated with human healers. Riding heavy over that was the subtle smell of fear…no…not fear…worry. He was worried about someone. That was no excuse to not pay attention!

Because she was watching, Aish'ayla caught the exact moment when the male's questing gaze found what he was looking for. Ah…not what…who. She was not very familiar yet with reading human emotion visually, (as a species, they had such fluid mobile features that sometimes it was hard to separate one emotion from another) but even she could see what started as a pleased smile turn into a worried, rather angry frown as another human male approached. Aish'ayla was pleased that she got the gender right just from visual aids. She flicked her tongue out…not to identify…but more from curiosity. This young male looked like he had jumped a pack of Rejgillian' and gotten his ass handed to him! She could not control her pleasure as his essence swirled around her tongue and sang across her sensitive palate.

Clean and sweet, it carried the taste of blue skies and hot flame. This was wrapped around the subtle flavors of Earth and steel only slightly masked by the very physical tang of blood, old anger and pain. Without thinking she lifted her head…meeting eyes as brilliant blue as a sun lit sky…Who was this Cadet? Then her brain caught up with her tongue as she caught his last shouted words.

"…. it's a Dinosaur!"

Her inner lids drew back at the insult just as the other male's head jerked around in surprise. His eyes flew wide at her hot angry glare and he just managed to avoid choking on his mouthful of soup. Well Crap…so much for fitting in. She would rather meet this dynamo of a human on her feet. Aish'ayla hastily rose as Sky Eyes continued his headlong advance… feeling slightly out of balance (both physically AND mentally) it was a natural reaction to step back, shift her tail and subtly adjust her flight arms in order to stabilize herself So that she could lift her torso, neck and head to their full height in a faux threat display. Maybe her size would intimidate him and he would just leave her alone. AND maybe not…

That bright gaze shifted to her folded flight limbs. The full on toothed smile was enough to trigger defense instincts. But it was his WORDS that almost pushed her over the edge.

"Oh, My God… you have WINGS! You're not a Dino…you're a DRAGON…Can you fly!?"

Hurt followed by blazing rage flashed through Aish'ayla's forebrain. Her intellect reeled under the emotional assault. She thought she had left this type of pain behind! Her hind brain's answer to the pain had her crouched to attack, ready to rip the smile off of his face before the man could even blink. His challenging smile disappeared…but oddly, she saw not fear in the eyes that steadily held her own…smelled no terror in the wave of battle hormones that his body instinctively primed him with. For just a second her mind righted itself as the memory of her Sister's last hateful words intertwined themselves around the other male's frightened cursing.

"Do us all a favor Aish'ayla. Prove you are good for something other than being a total waste of air. When you fail at this…do it in such a way that you take a few of those soft bodied Dthyli with you, that should flame this friendly… ally… foolishness into ash once and for all."

Hot acid flooded her mouth…begging to be spat or swallowed. Either would accomplish her Sister's goals.

* * *

"How did he keep getting himself into shit like this?!"

This was the thought rolling through James T. Kirk's mind as he looked UP into the face of what could only be described as a very angry dragon. Rapidly replaying the last few seconds through his brain did not help. Yeah…something with intelligence MIGHT get pissed off at being called a Dino…but he really had not meant it as an insult. He just had not seen the wings at first. And maybe toothily smiling at something that was all predator wasn't his best idea. (Ya THINK… Captain obvious!) Still that certainly should not be enough of an insult for it to turn him into toast! (He wasn't sure it could breathe fire…but with his luck it was pretty much a given!) Those blood red eyes shifted ever so slightly as McCoy cursed shakily under his breath. SHIT… Bones was also in the line of fire. The crimson flashed to brilliant gold for a second as the creature blinked. Gold…its eyes had been gold. Before they had flashed to red what had looked like pain had rolled through them. He had said something hurtful without meaning to. One of these days he had to get a brain to mouth filter before it killed him…or someone else. Without dropping his gaze, he shifted slightly, hoping that if it did decide to cook him…his body could at least shield his friend from the results of his stupidity. The dragon hiccupped and James braced himself hoping that it would be fast (painless would be too much to ask!) he could hear McCoy's soft Nonononono…as the creature pulled in a great breath…sealed its nostrils shut and swallowed. A pained expression crossed its face before it spun on one talon-ed foot and stalked away.

What the HELL!?

Beside him…Bones seemed to wilt, slowly folding into himself to slide boneless into his seat as the Dragon stalked off.

"Dammit all JIM… What part of let's POKE the fucking dragon seemed like a good idea to you?!"

"WHAT…I didn't….?"

McCoy shut him up with a withering glare as he hissed in a voice that would make a dragon proud,

"MAYBE… it would be a fricken good idea if you took Pike's advice and attended that class on First Contact Ethics AGAIN!?"


	2. Chapter 2

This story will basically be made of chapters that will read like a series of shorts. There IS a larger story mixed in with the smaller ones if you have the patience to wade through them. Some will be sad...some funny...some just plain weird but all will center around Ash and the crews interactions with her. If you are wondering what a Draconian looks like...a young one like Ash looks a lot like a Utahraptor just more delicately built and with wings. I hope to have some artwork done soon. I hope that if you enjoy the tales you will take the time to let me know through reviews. It helps keep me motivated. Thanks in advance. This is a fanfiction. I make no money from it but wish someone would take Ash and make her part of the Star Trek movie crew...I would love to see her come to life!

Chapter one

Enterprise…we have eight ready to beam up.  
Doctor Leonard McCoy crossed his arms and leaned casually against the wall, wincing at the sound of the last group of poor souls getting their atoms scattered willy nilly across space. He ignored Jim's grin as the Captain caught his expression.  
"Come on Bones…smile! You don't want to be giving the newbies any PHOBIA'S on their first day."  
He snorted…yeah…like they would NEED any help with THAT!  
This was the last group of graduates to arrive. The Captain always made it a point to be here to greet "Newbies" as he jokingly called them when they boarded. Technically, the Doctor did not have to attend their arrival. He managed to make the time just so he could make sure the new recruits were reminded to come to Sickbay as soon as settled to get their first base line physicals out of the way. With this last bunch, this was doubly important…They were all assigned to Security. Of all the ship's crew, THESE poor souls were the ones he would most likely see in his capacity as CMO. (Except for one certain person dressed in gold!) All joking aside, wearing a red shirt on the Enterprise was just asking fate to screw you up the ass without the benefit!  
The kid was watching him with a sly look in his blue gaze… suddenly he had a very bad feeling about this. What in the hell was that little shit up to?  
The last form materialized on the transporter pad. Oh, HELL no… McCoy could not stop himself as he jerked up from his slouch to hiss in his friend's ear.  
"Are you fucking KIDDING me? What part of taking a winged predator, and turning it lose in a tin can full of juicy meat bags sounds like a good idea to you!?  
His Captain just snickered as an eight-foot-tall, crimson and black Dino-dragon stepped carefully down from the pad. The thing was surprisingly graceful as its aquiline head pivoted on a long sinuous neck while looking over its surroundings. Mother of GOD surely it would not have graduated if it had EATEN anyone during its term? Leonard couldn't help the instinctive fear that crawled through his belly when gold eyes focused on him and the Captain. Maybe it had forgotten that first meeti…. aanndd maybe not. The Gold flashed to red, and a shadowed ruff/crest/mane? on its head and neck lifted. The creature's whole attitude suddenly seemed more aggressive…until those gleaming eyes noted the Command gold and McCoy's rank. Before he could smack the stupid out of him…Captain OBLIVIOUS stepped past him and started his welcome to the Flagship speech as he shoved a PADD into the Ensign's long fingered hands. That crest flattened and the look it gave Kirk down the length of its long muzzle was nothing but confused. Just for a second a long black tongue flicked out…only to be hastily sucked back in. Heh…now the beasty just looked embarrassed. The kid did not slow down to notice…. welcoming each graduate with a PADD, a hand shake and a congrats for making it into Star Fleet. He even went so far as to STEAL McCoy's spiel about finding the times of their first physicals on their schedules and not to dare to be late. It figures the asshole wouldn't let him have fun scaring the crap outta the kids with all the horrible things that would happen if they were late. With an unrepentant grin…Kirk shot him a smug look, told Cupcake to "get them settled" and slipped out of the room. The newbies stirred around nervously for a moment before Lieutenant Hendorf gathered them up and led them off.  
With a sigh, McCoy pulled himself out of his slouch to watch one particular figure stalk off. He straightened his tunic then froze as a horrible thought took up residence in his brain.  
OH… MY… GOD HE was the one going to have to give that thing a PHYSICAL!

* * *

Later in the day he was counting his lucky stars that somehow…the Draconian's appointment was next to last on his schedule. Spock had one afterwards but it was just a check up to make sure he was healing well after the last clusterfuck of an away mission. With his half Vulcan hybrid vigor, this was basically just a formality, something the Doctor would never admit to that pointy eared bastard! Leonard took a quick inventory of Sickbay…most of the staff had been released for the day. This exam was going to be weird enough without a roomful of looky loos…not that his team was usually anything but professional. Nurse Chapel had remained behind to give him a hand on the off chance it was needed. A part of him was surprised that the kid's insane curiosity did not have him down here trying to butt in…. but then again… Jim knew that Bones was pissed enough to hypo his ass into next week if he were foolish enough to cross Sickbay's threshold.  
Right on time, he heard the doors swish open and his Nurse's quiet gasp of shock…then,  
"Come in Ensign Aish'ayla."  
Good girl, he knew he could count on Chapel.  
McCoy's attention did not turn as he finished the last calibrations on the medical tri-corder he held. He could only hope that she had not butchered the Draconian name to badly.  
Finishing he turned…only to be greeted by an eyeful of crimson streaked ebony and something brushing the end of his nose. Somehow his "patient" had ghosted over the distance between the door and himself without a sound. The Doctor could not control his instinctive reaction. He reeled back, staggering a little as the edge of the bed hit his thighs... Jesus Christ on a cracker! How did something that big sneak up on a person? And more important… What…the…HELL! Did it just fucking TASTE him!? His nerves put more of an edge on his gruff words then was intended.  
"God damn it…Personal SPACE, ensign!"  
At least the thing had the good grace to look embarrassed as it stepped back, giving him some breathing room. He did not know why he was surprised when it spoke perfectly understandable Standard.  
"Apologies Commander McCoy."  
"Just Doctor will do, Ensign Aish'ayla."  
He was already scanning with his hand unit as he absently corrected it…ah HER. He could not stop his soft snort. Well whadda you know…female. With all of Jim's interest he should have guessed. That was about all the machine would tell him though…what the hell? Without thinking he reached out and tapped the glistening black scales that covered the heavy musculature on her deep chest. They were hard, strangely warm, and holy crap they CHIMED. Damn…the machine wasn't malfunctioning…there were all kinds of heavy metals mixed into the living matrix of her skin. It was messing with the tri-corder in ways that would have had him saying…. fascinating. But he did NOT want to sound like a certain green blooded hobgoblin. Well, there was nothing wrong with a good old fashioned, hands on exam for the basics. He could use the scanner on the biobed for a more in depth record of the Draconian's physiology afterward. Once calibrated it was much more powerful than his handheld. He looked up and again found himself face to muzzle with his patient. Aish'ayla snapped her head up with a distinctly guilty look before he snapped out,  
"Personal SPACE Ensign!"  
All in all, the exam went smoothly. The Draconian was a much better subject than a certain Captain he knew. She responded quickly and quietly to his muttered directions as McCoy checked heart rate, respiration, basic temp and recorded what he learned. Drawing blood proved a bit difficult as nothing they had would penetrate the hard scale covered skin. Aish'ayla obliged them by dropping her head and lifting the feathery strands of her crest. There was a small patch of very soft naked hide where the hinge of her jaw met her neck and a small area under her arms. He found the third place when he asked that she spread the long flight limbs folded neatly on her back. She crouched into that aggressive looking stance and her crest rose making a strange rattling sound. The eyes that glared into his had turned red as an inner lid opened. GREAT…really… he had only one way to deal with this… the same way he dealt with everyone else on the ship.  
"Listen Darlin… everyone on this tin can gets to have this all-time wonderful experience from the Captain on down…on a REGULAR basis. I've seen some of the weirdest shit this side of the Archadian nebula, some of it from our very own resident bogeyman. Whatever has yer knickers in a twist…SUCK it up! You ain't got nothing I haven't seen before."  
It would have been easier to ignore her dirty look if he had NOT already had a good close and personal with the set of massive cutting teeth hidden behind those deceptively soft looking lips. He let out a soft breath when she snorted, pointedly looked away from him and extended one wing out and out and …Holy crap! Well it stood to reason she would need a good-sized span to get over two hundred pounds off the ground. The soft skin stretched between four sets of long spar like finger bones was silky smooth and so thin he could see the convoluted lacework of blood vessels that fed it. He reached up…sensitive fingers feeling along the middle spar. Hollow bones… he did not realize he had spoken out loud until the Ensign answered. Her head had twisted around, bright gold eyes following every move he made.  
"Yesss…is hollow but very strong."  
He nodded and stepped back so she could fold it.  
Christ… he hoped this thing was as tough as it looked. Just the thought of having to knit together a broken wing gave him the cold sweats. Its huge vascular supply along with those hollow bones would make the experience a true osteopathic nightmare! Get it wrong… he shuddered and shook his head at the thought, motioning for her to open the other wing.  
For a stunned minute McCoy could only stare, his stomach rolled and it took two tries to pull air into his lungs. Jim's words echoed in his head at the sight of absolute ruin revealed….  
"Can you FLY…?"  
Jesus…he was going to kick the kid's ass for that AGAIN…just for shits and giggles.  
A quick glance proved that the Ensign had again, looked away. He found that he could not blame her.  
Pulling his tattered professionalism around himself like a shield, he stepped forward and ran a gentle hand over twisted bones and ragged skin. This wing was a good three feet shorter than the other. The two end finger spars had been badly broken in the past and not set properly. They were crooked and thick. Uneven healing in the tattered sail between them and the third spar had pulled everything out of alignment. It was very evident that the limb could not be fully straightened. Just opening it as far as she had caused several badly healed, thickened scars close to where it attached to her torso to pull and split. It looked like someone had put the damned thing through a meat grinder, then just let it heal on its own. Surely a space faring race had better medical knowledge than that? It was a healer's rage that caused the slight shake in his hands as he carefully examined the worse of the scarring. It was a bit of a surprise that the musculature on this side of her chest was in pretty good shape. The limb still had pretty good range of motion and the wasting he would expect from the crippling injury was negligible. She must be doing some type of therapy to keep it from deteriorating any further. Damn...that could not be pleasant. He was inordinately proud that he managed to keep the anger out of his voice.  
"This is old damage, is it still causing you pain?"  
She did not look at him when she answered.  
"Some...not bad if no stretch and move..." She gave an odd shrug. "...Happened long, long time ago."  
Oh Yes…Aish'ayla might be not be human but he would recognize that tone anywhere. Pain becomes just a part of life when it is a constant companion. Swallowing several swear words, the Doctor stepped back and watched silently as she carefully folded that horror, tucking it safely back out of sight. A flash of blue in the waiting area caught his attention…Damn…he was running late. That would be Spock, prompt as always. Ah well, this last bit would not take long. He patted the biobed.  
"Okay Ensign…this last little bit is easy…All ya have to do is lay down."  
For a moment, he thought she was going to argue with him as she gave the Biobed a wary look …then she gave a graceful hop, landed on top the bed and settled on her side.  
"I NEED you on your back, Ensign."  
This got him the mother of all dirty looks and the beast rolled belly up on the bed with her hind feet sticking up. Leonard had to stifle a giggle as the image of a giant turkey on his Momma's best serving platter rolled through his head before he bent it to start the scan.

* * *

Aish'ayla had been very nervous when she walked into Sickbay. Certain concessions made when her people agreed to send her to Star Fleet had kept her out of this type of situation. She was surprised when she realized that she had "met" Lieutenant Commander McCoy before. Instinct had her crossing the room and sampling his essence before her intellect kicked in. He did NOT seem to appreciate it. Embarrassed, she apologized and worked hard at just getting through this uncomfortable experience without her hind brain screwing it up for her. Still, his Smokey, sweet and spicy taste was distracting. It brought up images of a slow fire. One that could provide gentle, life giving warmth …or that could scorch the living hell out of you without a moments warning. She got herself in trouble a second time trying to taste him. Having him so close as he examined her was…pleasant. At least she found it pleasant until he insisted she spread her wings. She tried to bluff her way out of the order. Most humans would have taken one look at her angry posture and backed right down. It did not work…the heat she had sensed in him flashed in warning and she had no choice but to relent. What did it matter if he wanted to see her shame? Leaving her world did not change the fact that she was and always would be a useless cripple. Aish'ayla did as she was told and politely answered when she was asked a question. Pain was a part of life...dwelling on it served not purpose. The little pleasure she had found in the Doctor's company had soured. It soured even further when he asked her to get up on a biobed for an anatomy scan.  
She blinked at the narrow, FLAT biobed…Then back at Doctor McCoy…. he HAD to be kidding? His grouchy expressive face gave her the answer. It was surprisingly easy to read...even without her tongue being involved. Wrinkling her lips…the Draconian easily jumped onto the bed and slowly settled on her side.  
The CMO sighed impatiently…  
" I NEED you on your back, Ensign."  
All Draconian's hated being on their backs. Not only did it make them vulnerable…being in that position too long was downright dangerous. She opened her mouth to tell him this and McCoy pinned her with a hard glare.  
FINE…she flipped over…. There was nothing better than looking the fool with her feet stuck up in the air! She stifled a slightly strangled growl. If the man was quick…this might not be too bad.

* * *

As he started a basic anatomy scan… Leonard could not quite stifle his impressed whistle. No wonder they had put the Draconian in Security…Between her weird physiology, that diamond hard skin and the species natural born predatory instincts and weaponry, he would bet his last dollar that these things would be incredibly hard to kill. He categorized and slotted back the information as need to know as the results of the scan fed through his screen.  
No true lungs… just a series air sacs that ran all throughout the deep body cavity. A convoluted digestive track that included not two… but count em…THREE fricken stomachs. All of this fed by a Massive set of arteries powered by two hearts. He gave himself the momentary willies by imagining just how bad a clusterfuck it would be if those arteries ever took a hit…GOD it would be a bloody mess! Probably a good thing they were tucked back tight against and protected by that heavily armored spine.  
The bed's readings stuttered as Aish'ayla squirmed, her movement interfering with the ongoing scan.  
McCoy did not look up…  
"Damn it Ensign…hold still!"  
He frowned at the skewed readings he was getting. Hazel eyes never left his screen as nimble fingers danced over the keyboard resetting the scan. The set of long toes closest his face curled tight, then uncurled as that long tail twitched almost smacking his wrist. He could not control his soft growl of impatience.  
"Crap…stop FIDGETING! Now I am gonna have to start the whole thing over…AGAIN!"

* * *

Aish'ayla managed to keep calm a grand total of three minutes. What in the hells was taking him so long? For every second she lay in this unnatural position it felt as if a hundred pounds of pressure was building in her chest. She could not help but squirm trying to ease it off a bit. This earned her a growled order to be still. How RUDE! She would not be squirming if the position was not cutting off all the blood flow to her limbs. Screw this…she was rolling off the damn thing…if she squashed her CMO so be it. The punishment could not be any worse than being crus...WOW…. look at those cool squiggly black floaties! Her hearts rhythm deviated and their thunder was deafening. Oh SHIT…Aish'ayla tried to roll off the biobed but she had waited too long. Nothing worked…all she managed to do was to twitch her feet a little. She could not move…she could not breath…the cute little floaties turned into vision eating monsters as her sight started to tunnel. She could not stop her acid glands from reacting to her fear…her mouth filled and because her head and neck were level with her body…it flowed back down her throat. She could not swallow to dispose of it safely. Her last real thought was… GODS…she was going to honor her hateful Sisters wishes through no fault of her own. Acid was pouring into her flame chamber. It would fill. As soon as her hearts stopped, valves would relax…leaking the resulting gas throughout her air sacks. Gas plus oxygen equaled…BOOM! She would incinerate the Sickbay and its occupants along herself!  
There was a REASON her species left no fossil evidence!

* * *

Leonard re-booted the bed's program only to frown as the readings did not stabilize. As a matter of fact, they took a wild slide into the…Holy crap… range! Both his patient's hearts sped up, falling out of rhythm with each other. An alarm went off as the Draconian's oxygen levels plummeted. Aish'ayla made an odd hiccupping sound. This weird little noise was enough to set the What-the-fuck-o-meter off inside his head. Moving up to the head of the bed, McCoy caught the look of pure panic in those glazing blood red eyes. DAMN, and here he thought Kirk was bad about the damned beds!  
"Breathe ensign… BREATHE! Damn it don't MAKE me give ya a sedative…the Gods be damned bed isn't going to KILL you!"  
SHIT…he slammed a hand down, manually activating the bed's CODE alarm as instead of LISTENING to him that long, narrow jaw clamped tightly shut and her nostrils screwed themselves closed!  
McCoy dove for a hypo and loaded it with the sedative vial he kept hidden on ALL of the beds because of his truly…Captain James T. Kirk.  
He was reaching for the soft skin under her jaw when a hard grip on his arm stopped him.  
"WAIT!"  
That pointy eared Mother FUCKER…He did not have it in him to feel sorry as the touch telepath was blasted with what he was feeling. He did not have TIME for this!  
"SPOCK get the HELL out of my sick bay!"  
"Doctor…"  
McCoy tried to yank his arm away then noticed the look of concentration on the Vulcan's face. He followed the line of those dark eyes…they were studying the anatomy scan on the screen over the biobed. Everything on it just looked like HELL. Holy crap… was that weird third stomach EXPANDING? It sure was and it was putting even more pressure on the laboring front heart. PRESSURE…! Everything he was seeing finally clicked into place.  
"SHIT…. Cardiogenic shock! Get her off the damned bed Spock…NOW…get her off off off…! Christine…I need Tri-ox, 5 cc's of Tricordrazine and the same of Dexamethasone…Have a hypo of Sonambutril ready…"  
Thank God, for once the green blooded bastard did not argue with him. The Vulcan grabbed the off hind leg and arm and pulled. Two hundred and fifty-eight pounds of limp Dragon slithered off the table and onto the floor.  
Nurse Chapel had appeared with filled hypos at the ready. He was already injecting the first as he tried to help wrestle the Dragon's dead weight into a more natural position with the hand not holding meds.  
"Help me get her on her belly…"  
His Nurse shouldered him out of the way.  
"We've got this Leonard…you just get her stable!"  
Between her and Spock they manhandled his patient onto her keel and braced her there one on each side. McCoy got the next two hypos administered and grabbed the nearest tri-corder. He needed a scan before he risked giving a sedative and there was no WAY he was putting her back on a bed! He barely twisted out of the way as his patient surged up…trying to find her feet then sledded forward on her belly towards the middle of the room. The Doctor staggered and reached to administer the sedative…scan be damned, only to get shoved weakly back as Aish'ayla lifted her muzzle straight up and released a jet of hot blue flame towards the ceiling!  
"HOLY SHIT!"  
Still holding the hypo, McCoy joined the others in scrambling for his life as the Dragon vented fire two more times! The strident scream of fire alarms kicked in as sprinklers opened when Sickbays fire suppression system came online.

* * *

Aish'ayla shuddered as the painful pressure around her first heart bled away. She felt two bodies physically shove her onto her keel, one on each side to keep her from flopping over.  
Oh hells…now they had done it…once aligned into a proper posture that gas had but one way to go! She made one attempt to get to her feet then settled for scooting herself forward, sledding on her keel towards the middle of the room. Pushing the staggering humanoids out of the way she angled her head straight up and vented three times in short controlled bursts. There were screams, and she could hear a very inventive string of curses. One voice was remarkably calm.  
"Captain…you are needed in the Sickbay"  
"On my way, Spock!"  
WONDERFUL…the great experiment and her career were over. Her Sisters had won.  
Ignoring everyone (and the fire alarms that had joined the mayhem) she managed to lift her head and vent one more time. Her acid glands were still producing. Even though it almost seemed like too much trouble to swallow it safely she somehow managed. Aish'ayla was going to have the mother of all stomach aches to join the headache from hell that beat at her brain. She could not stop her head from sinking wearily towards the floor.  
Hot, very strong, and surprisingly gentle hands caught under her jaw.  
"I do not think it would be wise for you to drool on the floor Ensign!"  
She managed to crack her outer lids open. The hands were owned by someone with very dark eyes and pointed ears. Aish'ayla was sure she knew his name but just could not seem to dig it out of her reeling brain. The Vulcan bodily lifted her heavy head, and carefully balanced it to wobble in a more natural position against her curved neck. Another set of hands used something moist that stung a little to wipe what little acid had escaped off before it could do anyone any damage. A sharp pinch under her jaw followed,  
"Just some more Tri-ox Darlin… to help things along."  
The Doctor did not curse at all…she must have scared the crap out of him.  
She tried to tell him…tried apologize…to explain, but could not get any Standard to flow from her aching brain to her mouth.

* * *

Kirk skidded through the Medbay door and ground to a screaming halt in shock.  
"I KNEW it!"  
Was the first thing that flew out his mouth. He managed to slam it shut as McCoy sent a harried death glare his way. He did not know what had happened but the fact that Ensign Aish'ayla was huddled in the middle of a very scorched and Smoke filled Sickbay meant that their resident dragon had proven him right in a spectacular way.  
She COULD breathe fire!  
Then his brain caught up with his eyes. His glee was suddenly tempered by the fact that Bones had a definite singed look about him and said Dragon looked positively ill. Bones had a hypo…Kirk moved getting in front of the Doctor before he could use the damned thing.  
"Wait a minute Bones."  
Before the man could yell at him Kirk moved in front of the downed Draconian, ignoring the water that hissed down from the fire suppression system. Red eyes met his as Aish'ayla tried to lift her head. She was talking but it wasn't in Standard. That head wobbled and a long-fingered hand lifted to grab at it. Ouch…he knew a migraine when he saw one. Jim knelt and the hand grabbed his arm. As sharp as those talons looked…not one of them even pierced his shirt.  
"EASY…Ash." He kept his words low and calm. "Slow down…I can't understand you… Ensign! You NEED to slow down!"  
He felt more than saw McCoy kneel next to him. It was a relief when someone…probably Spock shut down the alarms and water. The Doctor had a tri-corder although he frowned and swore at the beeping machine.  
"I need to sedate her Captain."  
He grabbed his CMO's arm…  
"Give her a minute Bones…that's an order!"  
He ignored his friends soft curse…he would make this right once he figured out what was going on.  
This almost whispered exchange seemed to get through to the panicked Draconian. She started to calm a little and pulled him closer, managing to slow down her words. Kirk listened and did not interrupt her until the words trailed off to leave her panting, eyes closed against the pain.  
JESUS…setting back on his heels the Captain let go of his friend's arm. The man did not waste a second. Kirk could not help but wince even though the hand administering the hypo was much gentler than it usually was when Jim was the one getting stuck. That just didn't seem fair. Of course, HE did not have four inch teeth, razor sharp talons nor did he breathe flame! Ignoring McCoy's glare, he stood up and got out of the way as the medical team bullied and coerced their patient into taking a few staggering steps before collapsing in a dryer corner of Sickbay. He shifted his stiff shoulders and tried to ignore the beginnings of his own headache. He needed to change out of his wet clothes…he needed a drink…and he needed to have a serious talk with his Chief Medical Officer…not necessarily in that order!

* * *

Kirk was waiting for him when he slunk into his office, finally satisfied that the Ensign would be a little worse for the wear once she slept the sedation off.  
There was a bottle of bourbon sitting on his desk. The kid…bless his heart… poured them both a drink before asking...  
"What the hell happened in there Bones?"  
McCoy slid into his chair as if boneless.  
"What a freakin clusterfuck… I screwed up Jim…that's what happened. I shut her whole God damned circulatory system down…. If Spock hadn't come in I would have sedated her thinking the whole damn thing was just a panic attack."  
McCoy shut his eyes and ran a shaking hand over his face, trying to scrub the frightening scene out of his mind. "Jesus Christ…I told her the fucking bed wouldn't KILL her for God's sake and the whole time it was doing just that!"  
A strong hand pushed his glass closer.  
"Take a drink Bones, then tell me again. This time do it in a way that makes a little more sense."  
"God damn it…"  
He took the offered drink and downed about half of it. Then took a second to push the feelings of guilt down and organize his thoughts.  
"Listen…Draconian's have a fused backbone…most creatures that fly do. They have a weird ass breathing system more like a bird than a reptile or mammals…and they have a HUGE circulatory system designed to power them in flight. A large majority of this rests up against the spine and is protected by an armor like… fixed… ribcage. There is very little give to it. When I had Ensign Aish'ayla get on the biobed I put her on her back…its standard procedure to get a base anatomy scan. She did NOT want to get on the damn thing but I insisted…I just thought it was the usual "Medical" phobia that seems to abound on this ship."  
He could not stop the glare he sent Kirk's way…at least the man had the grace to squirm a little.  
"Once on her back, all the weight of her organs, flight muscles and that damn keel settled right on the big arteries that feed everything AND both her hearts. If I had been little faster with the scan there might not have been a problem but the Ensign kept fidgeting so I had to do it more than once. Jesus, I am such a fricken IDIOT! Aish'ayla had every right to fidget …I'd squirm too if some dumbass was cutting off all the oxygen to my BRAIN! Then said dumbass had the gall to grump at her. Christ on a cracker…" He trailed off…and avoided the compassionate look the kid sent his way as he finished the bourbon…He did NOT deserve it.  
"If Spock had not come in…I would have sedated her. She would have died on that damn table before I figured out what the HELL was going on!"  
Kirk made a noncommittal sound that drew McCoy's attention away from his guilt and to the Captain's face. The look there sent a cold shiver down his spine…and the fact that the man poured him so more bourbon did not help.  
"Oh, HELL no! Don't you DARE tell me whatever it is yer thinking…I REALLY don't want to know!"  
His friend's expression settled into what the Doctor liked to call his… serious as hell, this is the CAPTAIN speaking… face. Great, he had no choice but to listen. Whatever this was it would probably give him nightmares for days!  
"No matter the circumstances Bones…NEVER put an unconscious Draconian on their back."  
McCoy snorted and almost spat out…. as if he would ever make that mistake again! The thought of where the Draconian's dual hearts were located stopped him. God forbid…if he ever had to do any type of cardiac repair on the beast…On her back was the only position she COULD be in for him to GET to the damned organs.  
Jim must have been able to read the thought before it reached his mouth.  
A hard hand settled on his wrist…making him look up to meet his Captain's steady gaze.  
"I mean it Bones…we dodged a hell of a bullet today…because YOU managed to figure things out before the shit really hit the fan."  
At his look of absolute confusion, Jim let go of his wrist and slumped back into his chair, strong fingers absently playing with the drink he had yet to touch. Yep…he was definitely going to have nightmares…  
"You saw how freaked Ash was when I got to Sickbay…?"  
Freaked was not exactly the MEDICAL term he would have used to describe the Ensign's condition after being almost suffocated, then yanked bodily onto a floor, only to blow like a fricken volcano FOUR times…. but hey…who was HE to pick fricken hairs.  
"Ash was trying to tell you but with the pain, the panic and all of the confusion…getting her words out in standard just wasn't going to happen. All that came out was basic Draconian mixed with some of their Elder dialect."  
Jim caught his look and shrugged.  
"I can't speak Elder…but Uhura and Spock managed to come up with a program so I could learn enough to understand bits and pieces of it. It's a damned good thing. Dragons are tough as hell to kill…but they have a basic design flaw in their physiology. Their ability to flame is something that they consciously control. They produce a rather nasty acid when stressed. It is mostly harmless to them if they chose to just swallow it into their normal stomach. If it is swallowed into what they call a flame chamber…it mixes with whatever is in there and produces a gas that ignites when exposed to air. Once Ash lost physical control of the process…her acid automatically got shunted to her flame chamber. The best I could make out is that being on her back screwed up the natural valve system they use to keep that gas contained. If you had NOT figured out she was in serious trouble and gotten her off that bed… not to mention back upright…the gas would have bled back into her lu…ah…air sacks. Not only would it have ignited…but due to some of the chemical reactions that would have occurred…damn Bones…I got the impression that the resulting explosion would have taken out Sickbay along with everyone in it."  
Wonderful…. Night TERRORS…that's what he was going to have…for WEEKS!  
McCoy just stared in wordless shock. He tried to pull his thoughts away from the gruesome images of what MIGHT have been.…then he EXPLODED!  
"What the fucking hell JIM?! What were you THINKING letting something like that set foot on a Star Ship. Don't you THINK that information like this kind of falls in the NEED TO FRICKEN KNOW category? Oh I forget…you WEREN'T thinking. You just wanted your very own dragon, to hell with the fact it can turn us all into fricken TOAST! Jesus Christ on a cracker…I'm just a simple country doc and I am dealing with exploding dragons, suicidal infants and BRASS that would not know their ass from a hole in the ground!"  
He sucked in another breath so he could scream some more….  
The grim look on his Captain's face stopped him.  
"Brass isn't talking…but I have a sneaking suspicion the Draconian's have something that Star Fleet REALLY wants. They bent over backwards to get Ash admitted into the Academy. They ignored protocol, bent regs and broke more rules then me on a bender. Something is up Bones and for Ash's sake I want that dragon here were WE can keep an eye on things! I don't want to feed her to the wolves."  
The man's quiet words and the look in his blue eyes stopped McCoy's anger cold. He knew what he was asking. As CMO Leonard could have Ensign Aish'ayla removed from the ship. Which would be the intelligent thing to do for everyone's sake. Everyone's that is except Aish'aylas.  
Always the knight in shining armor. Leave it to Jim to defy convention and find the only DRAGON in the universe who needed saving!  
How did he keep getting sucked into these things?! He gave his answer without looking up…eyes focused on the dark gold inside his glass.  
"Ash… Kid… did it ever occur to you that peeps might not appreciate the cute little nicknames you pin on everyone. There ARE such things as rules, rank and regulation even if we CHOOSE to disregard them!"  
The man across from him relaxed a little at McCoy's tactful way of agreeing to go along with this.  
"Humans don't have the vocal apparatus to speak true Draconian. Because of this, they developed a secondary language that is easier on our mouths and throats. When ASH, was sent to the Academy she was given a name by her council that we can pronounce."  
Something in the kid's voice drew McCoy's gaze up away from the drink he was fiddling with. He froze at the anger that blazed in those brilliant blue eyes.  
"Do you have any idea what Aish'ayla means?"  
McCoy growled.  
"Do I fricken LOOK like I speak Dragon…Jim?" (And WHY was he not surprised that the kid would take the time to learn some archaic language for just ONE of his crew!?)  
Again…his face gave away what he was thinking. His friend managed a tight smile.  
"I've got an honest to God, flying, fire breathing, probably magic dragon as part of my crew Bones…of COURSE I am going to learn Dragonese!"  
Leonard almost slipped…going so far to open his mouth to tell Jim his dragon could not fly, but managed to catch himself just in time. If Aish'ayla hadn't shared the fucked-up condition of that damned wing with anyone else, the information fell squarely under Doctor/Patient confidentiality. Instead he satisfied himself with,  
"Okay…I'll bite. What does Aish'ayla mean in…Dragonese?"  
Jim picked up his, until now, untouched his drink…and rose to his feet. His icy gaze never left the Doctor's face.  
"It's literally translation is…. NOTHING."  
The Captain tossed back the bourbon and slammed the glass down hard enough to crack it before he turned and stalked to the door. He looked out towards the darkened cubicle were "his" dragon was sleeping and spoke softly over his shoulder before stepping out of McCoy's office.  
"I can't speak for anyone else… BONES…but regulations be damned…I will DIE before I call her that"

* * *

Sickbay was quiet. The only patient in residence was the Draconian and McCoy had relieved the Night Nurse so that he could stay and keep an eye on things. He had put the Ensign here… the least he could do was stay so that there would be a familiar face if she woke up. The whirr of his tri-corder seemed loud in the silence but it did not get through the sedative keeping Ash asleep.  
Reaching a hand out…he lightly stroked that God-awful wing with one finger. He had not forgotten their first meeting. "…Can you FLY?" Jim's innocent question had to have hurt worse than a knife through the heart. They did not know a lot about Draconians. It was rumored that even their Eldest when pushed had NASTY tempers. It was a wonder that this young one had maintained enough control to just walk away. She had been sent to a strange world ill equipped to handle the stresses her very nature created. This along with the lack of NEED to know information on Draconian Physiology... It explained a lot. Someone had set her up to fail and to do it in a spectacular fashion.  
His stomach clenched as his hand hovered over that damaged wing. These were very old injuries, long healed, such as they were. It was quite evident to a practiced eye that they had not been treated when they occurred. No one had cared that it was a crippling but FIXABLE injury. Why should they bother when she was no one… Aish'ayla…NOTHING!? McCoy could not completely suppress his soft growl of rage. It must have penetrated the haze of sedatives, because ASH… (Like HELL if he would call her by her GIVEN name ever again!) … shifted under his hand. Dull gold flashed in the dimmed light as her outer lids parted to look back at him with one eye.  
"Ssssorss…"  
Both eyes opened and the inner lids peeled back but he had given her enough sedative to knock a Bandersnatch out! She blinked at him…eyes weirdly half gold, half red as a long black tongue slipped out to lick dry lips. He tried not to smile when it did not retract…just hung there limply as she looked around trying to get her bearings. The smile faltered when her eyes centered on his face, and her head shakily rose, tongue sluggishly lifting to flick across his forehead…  
"HEY… Personal SPACE… go back to sleep, Ensign!"  
What was WITH patients wanting to TASTE him!  
The Dragon hiccupped… Her gaze was had not left his face. Reaching up, his questing fingers found what she was looking at. Ash from his singed hair, sifted down like soft snow when touched. HA…well what do you know? He THOUGHT he had ducked out of the line of fire! Those watching eyes followed the drifting ash and flashed to very unhappy gold.  
"Apologizzze…"  
This time she overrode the drugs enough that he could understand the word as she gave a little twitch of her fingers…indicating him and the state of his Medbay. McCoy grinned at her.  
"Apologize? Whatever the Hell for… Darlin? This is NOTHING compared to some of the shit JIM has managed to pull off in here! And don't EVEN get me started with that pointy eared hobgoblin!"  
"BurnssSsoor…"  
Now that didn't make sense at all. He smiled and using one finger poked that tongue back in where it belonged.  
"Shut up…quit fighting the very good drugs I gave you and go back to sleep Ash. That is an ORDER!"

* * *

This was a long chapter...but I had a lot of information I needed to get in there. Some of these tales will be long some short. Let me know if you enjoyed it.


	3. Chapter 3 Roommates

First Thank you to those who have taken the time to leave reviews. The feedback is greatly appreciated. I actually sat down with a different plan for this chapter. Instead a later chapter pushed its way to the front. It is pretty much written and ready to go. Then I realized that I had to write this one before the one I had planned sooo...here it is. I can imagine if you are a lower rank on a Star Ship you have little choice in roommates. I can also imagine that sometimes problems do arise.

You might notice that I have started titling my chapters...this is so I can keep track of the buggars as they are refusing to take their turns in order. Please pardon the grammar errors, I have no Beta reader and my editing skills suck. I have taken a crack at writing Scotty's accent, I have pretty much left Dr. McCoy's to the readers imagination. I have no clue how to write Southern! This is a fanfiction. I make not money from it. The characters of Star Trek belong to Paramount and I am only borrowing them for a bit. I DO own the rights to my original characters. Please do not use them without my permission.

 **Roommates**

Ensign Abigail Jones curled up in a tighter ball and pulled her covers close around her ears. She told herself she was being silly. She told herself that the powers that be would not let anything DANGEROUS on the ship. None of this helped. No matter what she told herself it did not change the fact that there was a long taloned, sharp fanged, scaly monster in her room! Of all the people on the ship who COULD be her roommate…how could her luck be so bad that she was stuck with THIS frightening one? There was a rustling as the creature shifted on its bed. Abby's anxiety ramped up another notch as she visualized scales sliding over each other as the snaky tail coiled and uncoiled.

The woman pulled the covers all the way over her head and began visualizing math formula's starting with her multiplication tables. It was an exercise her shrink had taught her to help control anxiety attacks. The fact that she had not had to think about that old creep or USE this tactic in years was enough to bring tears to her eyes. She had WON. She had escaped the mediocre life her momma had planned for her by working her fingers to the bone to get into the Academy. While there, she had studied until sick, making up for any lack of ability with sheer determination. And she had succeeded. She was a junior engineer on a STAR ship….and not just any ole boat…she had earned the right to be on the Enterprise, the Fleet's flagship. No matter the obstacles thrown her way SHE had done this. This gal… Abigail Leigh Jones had proven herself! Having a roommate that scared the bejesus out of her should not have the power to reduce her to a frightened, quivering child again. Rolling over, Abby pulled her pillow over her head. It would not surprise her if that thing that shared her space could smell her tears. It was a proven fact that predatory animals were drawn to the scent of fear. She was working her way through non-linear algorithms before she finally fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott watched with concern as his tech loaded the same program for the third time. Before she could initiate, he reached and canceled it out. It would not do if she blew something up.

"SHIT…" The woman rubbed her eyes and sat back.

He turned her chair and leaned a hip against the consol. Effectively blocking access to it. He needed answers before allowing her to touch another button.

"Heck Lass, what gives? Ya don't make mistakes like that."

The look Abby gave him was miserable.

"I am sorry sir, I haven't been sleeping very well lately ."

Scotty studied her wane face. Now that she mentioned _,_ it the wee bairn WAS looking a bit peaked _…_ had been for a couple of days. The young woman lifted a shaking hand to scrub at her face. He could tell she was expecting him to come down on her… it was evident in the stiff way she held her shoulders and the way her hands twisted into a ball in her lap. Scotty was not known for his patience with junior engineers. Still, Ensign Abigail Jones, while not at the proficiency level of himself or Chekov, had proven to be a steady hand that he could usually rely upon. She almost never made mistakes. Because of this he was willing to give her a little leeway before blowing a cork.

"Sorry donnae cut it Ensign. Not when mistakes down here can blow us all to ell and back! Ah need a better explanation than that ta not put ya on report!"

Ach man… he was the Chief. He was immune to huge, soulful, incredibly sad deer eyes. This thought did nothing to help the feeling that he had just kicked a sick puppy for puking on the floor. Abby's shoulders sagged, and those sad eyes suddenly refused to meet his own steady gaze.

"I was assigned a new roommate…. She's just not working out. It's hard to s-sleep with her in the room!"

Scotty felt both his eyebrows creep up at this answer. He was NOT a dorm mother. Crew was expected to behave like adults when it came to their living arrangements. Not like spoiled frat members. He almost spat this out…but quick eyes noted that the Ensign's hands had started to shake and her face was as white as milk. He just managed to modify his tone.

"AH… What's the problem…? Does she snore?"

HA… that response is not what the lass was expecting. Whereas this did not illicit the smile he was going for he did get her to finally look at him. Damn… If looks could kill there would be nothing where he was standing but a great smoking black hole.

"NO…sir! B-b-but she has scales, and claws and g-g-giant teeth."

OH… he did not need any other words to guess the identity of Abby's new roommate. He really could not fault the young woman for her reaction. Ensign Ash seemed to affect people this way. It was one of the things that made her a damned good security guard.

Abby must have seen the look that crossed his face because a little hope flushed her wane features.

"Do you think I could get my quarters switched?"

Ach, he hated to be the bearer of bad news.

"Ah Lassie…the only way to get an approved change to yer assigned quarters is in the case of medical incompatibility. Unless you have developed a sudden allergy to Ensign Ash, I cannae help ya. You'll have ta talk to the CMO and I'll warn ya now. The doc is a busy man… he can be a hard ass if he thinks yer jacking him around or wasting his time."

The look of apathy that permeated the young woman's whole body was just…pathetic. God, he was such a sucker for puppies, kittens, and sad little waifs. Okay… he could fix this.

"Fine… It's yer ass. I can send a request to set up a personal consult asap with him for ya if you want?"

She answered with a silent nod.

Scotty got the ensign working on one of his many pet projects. He made doubly sure that it did not have the capacity to end in explosions and flame if she made a mistake. Then he slipped into his office, picked up a small container of homemade hooch and set a course for the CMO's office.

* * *

Doctor Leonard McCoy finished the last bit of clear homebrew Scotty had left for him, put his signature on the last of his day's paperwork and settled back to pin the small figure that paused in the doorway to his office with a hard glare. The Chief Engineer had filled him in on the reason he was sending one of his juniors down to Medbay after her shift but had little explanation as to why the woman was having problems with Ash. Granted the Draconian was a bit fierce to look at but she had earned her stripes at the Academy just like everyone else. There was no reason for someone to not want to share living space with her… you gave up the right to be picky when you accepted your commission on to a Starship.

Still…Scotty was not one to suffer fools, and he seemed to think highly of the young woman…so the Doctor made a concerted effort to rein his temper in. It was not the girl's fault he was on the end of a rough day.

"Ensign Jones… please come in and take a seat."

Eyes that were trained to take in small details noticed the slight flinch at the hard tone of his voice. He waited in silence as the girl came in and perched nervously on the edge of the chair on the other side of his desk. How had the tiny thing passed PE at the academy? Leonard bet she would be doing good to tip the scales at ninety pounds. He stretched out the silence and just watched as the girl fidgeted, gaze nervously flicking to look at everything in his office but him. A petite little thing, Abigail Jones had a rather plain face set off by large Carmel colored eyes. Her auburn hair was cut short in a no nonsense, easy to care for style and although her nails were neatly painted…they were filed short, testament to the fact that she worked with her hands. She did not seem the type to be a bitch just to cause trouble for someone else. Of course, his bitch radar was not known for its efficiency. After all, he had married just that type!

"Lieutenant Commander Scott tells me your proficiency rates have dropped due to lack of sleep?"

She nodded, but offered no explanation.

"He also informed me that the problem started when you were assigned a new roommate?"

This time the nod was almost imperceptible and her hands started to knit themselves together on the edge of his desk.

Fine…they could do this the hard way.

"You do realize, Ensign Jones, that the process to assign rooms to over one thousand souls on a ship this size is a highly scientific undertaking. Physical, mental and psychological evaluations are all used to match people with others who are least likely to KILL each other when cabin fever sets in. The process rarely fails to pair up crew members who are not compatible… So… kindly tell me what the problem is between you and Ensign Ash. Does she FART?"

Huge brown eyes jerked up and skittered away at the fact that there was no humor whatsoever accompanying the question.

"Has Ensign Ash threatened you? Has she KILLED something and consumed its bloody carcass in front of you? Are you worried she will slither her way into your bed…"

Leonard was being intentionally harsh. Not because he was pissed for Ash's sake. (Which he most definitely was.) His instincts were telling him that this was a little more than a personality conflict. He was trying to illicit an uncontrolled reaction. The Doctor got a little more than he bargained for.

"NO…stop…Please…"

Ha…she COULD speak. Any accomplishment he might feel was swept away in concern as the next words were choked out through breathless lips.

"It's just… I really don't like snakes. I am afraid of… scaly things!"

McCoy clinically noted the woman's pale face, the hands that twisted themselves together on his desk to hide their shaking, the dilated pupils and the fact that Abigail was starting to hyperventilate. Fear my ass…this type of anxiety was way past simple fear and well into phobia territory. How had she passed her psych evaluations? He opened his mouth to ask… then slammed it shut. After all, HE had managed to pass them, and his phobia should have planted him firmly on Earth! Instead he got up, loaded a hypospray with a low dose sedative mixed with a fast-acting anti-anxiety med and administered it with a much gentler touch than he had originally intended. He recognized mental demons when he saw them… he had a few of his very own.

"Come on…Breathe sweetheart… In then out. Don't worry about talking, just concentrate on slowing your breathing down. In and out…that's it…"

He stayed, gently rubbing her back until the woman was finally able to pull in a deeper breath. Then he sat back down, crossed his arms and lifted a brow.

"Ensign… you do realize that any type of… anxiety… that might contribute to Xenophobia is reason to remove you from this ship? Uncontrolled Herpetophobia is a diagnosis that could effectively end your career."

Abigail's miserable gaze shot up and Leonard's heart twisted when the tears that had gathered in those doe-like eyes escaped to slip down her face. Her next word was almost a sob.

"NO… I mean…yes! I know that! I haven't had this kind of problem in years. I thought that since you're a doctor…"

She trailed off as her desperate gaze searched his face.

"I hoped I could just get a different room."

"Darlin… even as CMO, Doctor/patient confidentiality is paramount." He reached out and covered her small hands with one of his own…stilling the way her fingers were mangling each other. He hated to crush the little hope those words had kindled in her soft brown eyes.

"Having said that. The only ones who can approve a change like this are the Captain or the XO. You really don't want me to bring this up to Mr. Spock. That just leaves Jim. I can tell you that the first thing he is going to ask is why and as CMO I am obligated to inform him of any reason that might put his ship at risk. Your position in engineering puts any panic attack you might have squarely in that realm. Even if he decides to approve the change… it will be a black mark on your service record."

For a moment, her face crumbled. Damn… nothing upset him more than watching a woman cry. Leonard released her hands and reached to hand her a box of tissues. Much to his surprise, instead of breaking completely down, Abigail slanted a hard look at the offering, took a deep breath and visibly wrestled herself back under control. McCoy had to admit…he was impressed. The emotionless mask she raised to him would have done a Vulcan proud, if you disregarded the tracks of previous tears on her cheeks.

"Okay then… I retract my request. I will find a way to deal with this."

Ah hell… he could see why Scotty had come down to see him before sending Ensign Abigail Jones along. There was steel hidden in this quiet self-effacing girl. She just needed time in the forge and the help of a good blacksmith to find it. The gruff engineer had surprised McCoy with that poetic turn of phrase. It seemed that that his native land instilled the same values in a man that being bred and raised in the South did. Both the Engineer and the Doctor were hard wired to repair that which was broken. Add to this the bone deep need to shelter and protect the fairer sex that had been drilled into him from birth… Leonard sighed. Montgomery Scott was a big marshmallow at heart and evidently so was he. There was something broken in this young woman that he very much wanted to fix. The Doctor tapped a prescription into his PADD, then rose to enter his code into the controlled substance ADC situated in his office. He set the small bottle of Diazepam it spat out on his desk and tapped it with his stylus to make sure he had her complete attention.

"I can't just pretend that you don't have a problem, but I can buy you some time before it goes in my permanent report. I want to see you again in a week for counseling. In the meantime, you might try TALKING to Ensign Ash. I think you might be surprised with the results. The pills should help you sleep and I forwarded some breathing exercises to your PADD that are beneficial when dealing with anxiety. Commander Scott is putting you on restricted access in engineering until we can get this under control."

McCoy wrestled with himself for a moment than threw caution to the wind to skate precariously on the edge of confidentiality ethics.

"Abigail… it might help you to know. Appearances not withstanding… Draconians are more closely related to birds than reptiles. It might be of some help if you were to think of Ensign Ash as an overgrown… chicken…."

The look of astonished gratitude those big brown eyes flashed his way as she rose to leave made his feel goods all warm and fuzzy but it did not stop him from dropping a hand on her shoulder as he escorted the girl to his door.

"Ensign… if ANY of your symptoms worsen rather than show some improvement in the next few days I want you back in my office faster than a frog with his ass on fire…you got me?"

He was rewarded with a smile that although fleeting… changed the brown of those eyes to the amber gold of warm bourbon.

"Yes, Doctor McCoy… and thank you!"

* * *

It might have been the pills, it might have been the counseling but over the next couple of weeks it got easier for Abigail to sleep. Of course, the fact that her roommate took to coming in very late might also have been a contributing factor. Quite often Abby fell asleep alone and woke to find the Draconian already gone. It was one of these long and rather lonely evenings that she felt relaxed enough to get her keyboard out. Space in an Ensign's quarters was sparse and even more limited by having to share. There was no WAY to bring a piano so Abigail brought the next best thing as part of her official kit. She sat on her bed and ran through a series of practice scales and was working through a piece titled, "The Random and the Purpose," when her roommate quietly let herself in the door. Her fingers stumbled on the keys but this piece was difficult and the fact that she played it by rote to honor the way the ancient composer had created it kept most of her attention firmly on the music. Dax Johnson had been a young musical genius who did NOT write his creations down as he worked. They, of course, had been translated onto sheet music over the millennium. But as an honor to the troubled young man who had eventually taken his own life, she had learned to play the piece by ear.

Part of Abby's mind registered the fact that the beast had come in to settle awkwardly onto its bed. The creature never lay like a person. Instead she would dig her blankets, pillow and sheets into a sort of nest, then lounge on her side… her weight resting on her ribcage, her hip and off arm, long hind legs folded gracefully so that her toes hung over the edge. These were joined by that long supple tail. It was really the only way her long frame could fit on the bed. It kind of did remind the girl of one of her prize chickens relaxing in the bright Colorado sun. Just for a second Abigail looked up, and caught the other staring right back, long head nodding in time to the music. Caught in the act…the beast jerked her gaze away to stare at the wall again, head still bobbing slightly to the rhythm.

Abigail finished and started another slower song. This one was called "Eclipse of the Moon." It was one of her favorites with a slow, sad, sweet melody. Halfway through she noticed a deep thrumming that she felt in her bones more than she heard. Her fingers slowed, and she looked up to find golden eyes again studying her as she played. This time as she continued, they did not look away. The thrum continued to beat a counterpoint until she reached the end. Curious, Abigail hesitated as the deep hum faded. Her fear was still there, but it was distant, as if it belonged to someone else. Without letting herself think about it, she started the piece again from the beginning. She was watching this time and caught the subtle vibrations as the dragon joined in. It sounded as if her keyboard had been joined by a deep throated bass. A lighter but no less smooth cello joined in, weaving soft sad chords around the simple melody she was playing. Abby's mind reeled as layer after layer was added, swirling around and supporting the original song. Her fingers played on as the very air seemed to breath music, lifting her and carrying her along on a sad and beautiful ride. It gently set her down, fading out to let the last sweet notes tremble through the room as her fingers came to a stop. Somehow, she had not noticed when her roommate rose off her bed. She was balanced on her hocks and tail, wings slightly opened, neck arched, head tilted as she listened to the last echoes die away. Abigail did not need those gold eyes focusing on her face to know her cheeks were wet from tears. She knew she was not imagining the concern she saw there because that wedge-shaped head shot up as the beast rose hastily to her feet.

"You LEAKING! I call Doctor…"

SHIT… Abigail overrode her fear of the beast by using her fear of Doctor McCoy getting disturbed this late in the day by a girl's silly tears. She grabbed a handful of wing as her roommate strode by and was surprised when her light grip brought the beast to a full halt.

"It's okay…they are just tears… I am fine!"

"Tears?" Abby did not even have time to flinch as a scaly face filled her vision, there was a soft brush like a feathers kiss and the girl could only stare as a long black tongue retracted after lifting a tear from her cheek. The dragon thrummed deep in her chest the sound wound through with a soft cascading trill.

"Exquisite… Tears be a sweet gift."

Abby again found her fear taking second seat to her curiosity.

"How did you DO that? You only have ONE mouth!"

The Dragon gave a slight shrug.

"Your language one layer… one color, no life, no fire, very simple. My language…Eldest… alive, living… forever growing. Many colors, infinite layers. Say much with few words."

The engineer's confusion must have been easy to read on her face. Her roommate swayed, made a graceful dip with her long head and neck and a simple melody flowed in a series of notes, chirps and thrumming chords from her open mouth. Abby could not stop her delighted smile. The beast's lips lifted at the corners and there was a softening in the muscles and skin around her eyes and nostrils. Her feathery frill rose, lifting and moving as if stirred by an invisible breeze. The girl wondered if her smile was being returned.

"What did you say?"

Again, the dragon made that odd, graceful dip with her head and neck before answering.

"Greetings, Star Child. May your journey be smooth and the wind strong beneath your wings. This humble traveler is called Ash."

The girl hesitated, they had been sharing a room for almost three weeks and she had not even introduced herself. Shame finished off the last little bit of fear that Ash's beautiful greeting had left.

"Hello Ash. This traveler is called Abigail Jones. But you can call me Abby."

* * *

Eclipse of the Moon, artist Brian Craine. The Random and the Purpose, artist Dax Johnson. I can provide links if anyone is interested in hearing them. How a dragon can sing with many voices will be answered in a later chapter if you are wondering. As always... I would love to hear from you all. Reviews serve as Motivation and where as I already have several chapters ready to go...how FAST I do this can be influenced by nice words!


	4. Fast Food

I have always felt that redshirts kind of get the short end of the stick. Yes, I know they are pretty much the foot soldiers of Star Fleet, in other words cannon fodder. BUT I believe that their training would make most of them much more competent than they are given credit for. Its one of the little things that got this plot bunny rolling.

As always all Star Trek characters are owned by CBS ad Paramount. This is a not for profit fanfiction, I am just playing with them. I DO own the rights to my original characters. Please do not use them without my permission.

* * *

 **Fast Food**

Abigail almost dropped her sandwich as she juggled it, her PADD and a soft drink trying to get into her quarters. She was saved when a taloned hand reached past her to key the door open. The girl did not even try to hide it as she jumped and squeaked in surprise. How the heck did something that big move so quietly?

"Cheese-n- crackers, ASH… someone needs to put a bell on you!"

The hair on the back of her head blew up as the dragon snorted in amusement and followed the girl into their shared space.

"I likes cheese and crackers… you gots?"

Abby couldn't stop her giggle… sometimes dealing with her roommate was like babysitting a four-year-old.

"It's just a turn of phrase… I don't have any crackers…"

She quit laughing when a lean head curved over her shoulder, long black tongue flicking greedily over her special Scotty creation. Her Chief was a genius when it came to hand held edibles and getting him to make her one of his famous hoagies had been a crowning achievement today! She smacked the offending appendage with her package of chips.

"HEY personal space…keep your tongue away from my dinner!"

Ash pulled it back into her mouth and gave the girl a wounded look. Then she gave a dragon's grin and flopped onto her bed.

"Is okay… me eats later. Better foods on ground!"

Unwrapping her treat, Abby took a big bite and chewed blissfully while setting her manicure kit up.

Her roommate stopped squirreling her blankets around into a nest to watch.

"Why you eats now… nots going shore leaves?"

Abby cleared her mouth while she removed the no nonsense nail polish she wore while on duty. She did not miss her roomie's wrinkle nosed look of disgust at the smell.

"A group of us are heading to the Hoary Slipper for drinks. They're planning on stopping for Andorian fast food on the way. I can't eat that stuff, it gives me gas."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw those taloned hands pause while kneading a pillow into shape…

"GAS… you has flame!?"

The image this innocent question brought to mind had Abby choking on her mouthful. She could not help but recall her CMO's first question, (Does she FART?) and she had to stifle a laugh as she tried to explain.

"NO… we don't… you see…well…flames might be better!"

Silence followed this stuttered answer, such as it was. If Ash wanted to know about the "subtle" intricacies of the human digestive system…she could ask the Doc! Abigail was grinning as she added some length to her short nails, filed the acrylic into shape and started a base coat of deep red. Just because she never intended to be a cosmetologist for life as was her momma's plan, the girl saw no reason not to use the skills that had paid her way through school. She layered on a topcoat of lighter red, added a lacework of shimmering gold to the tips and was trying to decide if a crystal would cross the line into "too much" when a soft snort blew one of her brushes off the table. Her startled reaction spilled several tiny sparkling crystals on the floor along with a couple of bottles of polish. Thankfully these were closed. Ash had ghosted off her bed and was crouched looking down her long muzzle at Abby's hands. Jehoshaphat…she was going to get the creature a damned bell before she died of a heart attack! Her exclamation was cut off as she jerked her fingers away before a certain tongue could smear her hard work before it dried.

"Personal SPACE… ASH!"

The tongue withdrew, only to be replaced by a long sharp talon that carefully stirred the crystals left on the table around.

"Pretty sparklies… Wacha doing Abby Jones?"

Just to be safe the girl stuck her hands under her ultraviolet hardener to prevent any accidental licks.

"I'm painting my nails… you know…so they look nice."

The long head tilted in confusion.

"You is alreadys looking nice… why you adds sparklies… OHHH you looks for mate?"

"What…thanks…yes….NO!"

Oh my GOD… she did NOT just ask that? Abby sputtered and her reactive blush made things worse.

"Whys you turn RED… I get Do…"

She grabbed a clawed hand stopping the dragon before she could get up and call medical.

"I just want to look nice for shore leave… you know… dress up, go out and get a drink…maybe meet someone?" Abby realized that although she knew Ash was scheduled for shore leave the girl had no idea what her roommate was planning to do. "Isn't that what you are going to do? You ARE going planet side, aren't you?"

Ash gave her a nod, her talons tapping a happy rhythm on the table top.

"I goes shore leaves…no drinks though… just eats."

One long fingered hand lifted to let the light play across the shiny black surface of her claws.

"You adds sparklies…make me pretties?"

Abigail looked at the long talons, then grinned…this could be fun.

Digging around in her supplies she soon realized that the only color she really had enough of was a bright electric blue. It was not a color she used very often. She held the bottle up against one of the dragon's dark red stripes… and winced. Ash caught her expression.

"Whats…?"

"This is the only color I have a lot of and it does not really match your stripes."

The dragon's head curved around as she eyed the color.

"I likes… can match!"

The girl just stared in shocked wonder as the red brindling that striped that shimmering midnight hide, shifted. It brightened, flowed to gold, then yellow to green to finally settle on a beautiful electric blue. The feathery frill matched the color change, rising to float on an invisible breeze to wreath the wedge-shaped head in what looked like living flame. Bright gold eyes studied the girl's face.

"Is match now?"

Abby just nodded, not trusting her voice. She slid a hand under those long fingers, bringing them closer as she filed one or two rough edges smooth. Brilliant blue vines took shape under her brush, delicately twining over the black to form an intricate pattern. When tiny crystals were added, the dragon started to purr. The girl finally asked the question that was really bothering her.

"How… what… this color is beautiful… why do you choose red all the time?"

Ash lifted the finished hand… golden eyes watching the electric blue sparkle and shimmer in the play of light.

"Is protocol. I's Security."

It took a moment to figure out what this meant. And when it registered, a small tremor marred one of the little vines she was painting on the other hand. Everyone on board was familiar with Star Fleet urban legend… even if the higher ups tried to stifle the rumor mill.

Even if she could not wear the curse of death…. Ash was a red shirt.

* * *

Later that evening, Abigail sipped on her drink and watched the last of the group she came down with wander off, arms wrapped around a tall, lithe feline male. She could not blame the lieutenant. Abby sighed and leaned back in her chair, eyeballing the tail attached to the very nice ass as it disappeared through the bar door. Lucky lady. A blush traveled up her cheeks…as if SHE would know what to do with that tail. Raised in an old fashioned home the girl had yet to get up the nerve to explore "strange new men, new life and new sexual-izations." She stifled a snicker in her drink. God she was lame. And more than a little buzzed. This drink would be her last…hopefully she could find someone to walk back to the transport location with. This place was on the rough side of civilized, they had been warned to buddy up when traveling the narrow streets.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the bartender setting a small glass filled with a thick, smoky black liquor. At her questioning look the Orion gave her a sensual smile and nodded towards a thickset male watching her with almost black eyes. She did not need the green woman's light touch on her wrist and whispered warning to know that she really did not want to have anything to do with the cross-breed man who now approached. His heavy build, deep set eyes and the faint ridging on a broad forehead screamed that there was Klingon somewhere in his pedigree. The tattoo that covered half his face made his gang affiliations a more pressing problem. Abby pushed the drink towards him as he settled into the chair next to her.

"It's kind of you, but no thanks. I am done and heading home."

She started to get up only to freeze as a powerful hand closed on her arm pinning her in place. The other hand slid the drink back in front of her.

"What's the hurry Sli-Vak… the night is young. Drink what you are given so we can leave and find a place where your screams won't be noticed.

* * *

Hikaru Sulu finished the last of his beer, dark eyes scanning the bar. He usually was not much of a drinker but had agreed to come to the Hoary Slipper just to keep an eye on Pavel. The boy was not of age on Earth but the laws in deep space where not as stringent. When the helmsman had heard that this infamous dive was a party destination for most of engineering… he decided to tag along. While the Russian wiz kid was not technically part of that close-knit group, he had been adopted by the rough clan and they would not let him say no when invited. It had been a nice evening of good drinks and great company. Most of the crew knew why he was hanging out in a place not quite suited to his quiet temperament and he had not had to buy a single drink out of pocket. Neither had Chekov for that matter… the kid was practically swaying in his seat, eyeballing a young ensign who had caught his attention earlier in the evening. Sulu gave his friend a gentle nudge.

"So, are you going to sit there making googly eyes at her all night or are you going to go introduce yourself?"

This earned him a terrified look as the kid sputtered into his drink.

"I can't… she is… I am… HEY… Isn't that Kanar?"

Sulu turned to look. The young lady in question had nursed a couple of party drinks all night. She did not seem the type to indulge in the DARK side. Cardassian liquor was wicked strong and not a drink that any with no tolerance to alcohol should be playing with. That black glass of "hangover from hell" was cause for alarm, but the tough looking character that roughly planted himself beside the tiny Ensign set all the bells and whistles off in the helmsman's mind. He was already up and moving when the girl pushed the Kanar back at the man as she tried to rise. He did not hear whatever was said but the blood leaving the girl's face was enough he had no problem interfering.

"Ensign, is this man bothering you?"

He rested a possessive hand on her tense shoulder and felt more than saw Chekov moving up to have his back. Huge brown eyes flashed a grateful look up at him as the tense muscles under his hand relaxed.

"Thank you, Lieutenant, I was just telling this…. gentleman, that it was time I headed back to the ship."

The cold eyes that glared into his as the tattooed stranger rose were as hard as black obsidian.

"You and your little friend should mind your own business…"

Sulu tightened his hold on the girl, intent on throwing her behind him at the first sign of violence.

The unmistakable sound of a round being jacked into a firing chamber made everyone freeze.

All eyes turned to the green woman behind the bar. Black eyes found himself staring down the double bores of an antique sawed off shot gun.

"Targath, I swear I will blow a hole in you big enough to fly a shuttle through if you start a fight in my bar… again!"

For a long moment, the man did not move. Then he shrugged, tossed back the shot of Kanar and wiped his mouth with a big scarred hand.

"Some other time then…"

The weapon stayed trained on the guy until he let himself out the bar door.

Hikaru turned to thank the Orion only to have her shake her head as she put the weapon back under the bar.

"If I were you, I would take these sweetlings home and not set foot around here again. Targath and his friends are not people you want to be playing with."

He was trying to do just that an hour later as the three of them slipped quietly through the emptying streets heading back to their transport point. The late crowd was just starting to thin so there were plenty of people still out. Because of this, Sulu felt that they were relatively safe if they followed the more public routes. He was wrong. Pavel and Abigail were slightly ahead of him, chatting together as they walked. The helmsman was hanging back a little giving his young friend a chance flirt a little when several dark figures detached themselves from an alley to surge forward and yank the couple into the shadows. Sulu shot forward only to slam into a virtual wall of muscle and bone. For a few seconds, he was able to fight back. Something traced a hot flame over his stomach. While twisting away something else connected with his ribs hard enough that he heard at least one of them crack. Overwhelmed, Sulu was manhandled deeper into an alley that eventually opened into what looked like a dimly lit courtyard. He was slammed into a wall and released. Just managing to keep his feet, Hikaru turned around. His wild leap back into the fray stopped at the sight of Pavel sagging in Targath's hard grip. A small trickle of blood oozed out from under the very sharp edge being held to his throat. A quick glance and the helmsman realized that they were well and truly screwed. The gang knew its territory and had planned the ambush well. The little space they had been dragged to had two ways out. One was blocked by a huge pile of old storage containers and debris. The other…? There were seven men not including Targath blocking that entryway into the courtyard. At least three of them had sidearms, and the helmsman was willing to bet the rest had blades. It was a wonder he was still alive. Then again… the nasty smile on the gang leader's face made it clear his being alive was a part of the plan.

"Well now, little man. Not so tough when you don't have a green bitch watching your back are you?"

Sulu straightened up as much as his cracked ribs would let him. He could see Abby backed against the same wall he stood against. Other than being mussed up a bit, the girl did not seem to be injured…. Yet.

"We are Star Fleet officers Targath, you really don't want to do this."

While he spoke, the helmsman was slowly sliding a hand towards his communicator. He froze when the man who held Chekov laughed. A little more blood flowed as the knife pressed deeper.

"Your precious Star Fleet does not frighten us. It has no jurisdiction here and the local authorities know better than to mess with my people. By the time you are missed, this nights fun will be over. Make another move towards your speak-easy and I will cut this sweet thing's throat. You can watch him bleed out while we break you. Be a good boy and I might let you live after my friends and I have the pleasure of riding some Federation ass."

Sulu saw the exact moment when Chekov realized what the big man was planning was not limited to the only female here. The kid's eyes were huge with panic as he bucked against the man's hard grip.

Thankfully, Targath pulled his knife hand back a little before the kid could cut his own throat.

"Go ahead and struggle boy, makes things more interesting…."

There was a loud crash from the garbage pile and a black shadow shifted in the darkness. Sulu was not the only one who stood in frozen shock as a predatory form stepped into the very edge of the light. For a moment, the helmsman was not sure that the Draconian that appeared was Ash. There was no sign of the red stripes that usually marked the Ensign's black hide. The gold eyes that searched his seemed familiar though. The helmsman saw Targath shift and pull Pavel closer.

"What the hell kind of game is this? If that's a pet Star Fleet you had better be able to control it!"

The dragon took a tentative step forward and Sulu realized she had a mouthful of matted bloody fur. Before the dragon could come any closer and get everyone shot, he shouted the first thing that came to mind.

OH… MY… GOD! Ash…DROP that!"

Wonder of wonders, the Ensign dropped her mouthful. The gaze she shot his way was pitiful.

Sulu could not quite control the shake in his voice.

"Is that someone's PET?"

Pitiful went to surprised tinged with what might have been a little guilt.

"No, not PETS… no allowed to eat pets."

The dragon prodded the limp, bloody bundle of rancid fur with one toe.

"Is rat… they big and juicy here."

Big was an understatement. With radiation a factor, mutated space rats were known to grow to the size of a large dog.

Those big gold eyes flashed a hopeful look his way. Ash rose to her full height and pushed the dead rat forward with one foot while shuffling a step closer. Sulu heard Chekov gasp as the fiery red of those missing stripes reappeared. They flashed to gold, which bled to green only to shift to electric blue as brilliant color brought Ash's shadowed hide to life. A quick glance proved that the sound was just a reaction to the dragon's light show. His captor's attention was focused on the Draconian. If anything, the hand holding Targath's weapon had dropped a little. Someone whispered "What the Fuck!" and several of their adversaries backed up a step or two. Bobbing her head, Ash shuffled another step forward.

"Captain said allowed to hunt rats. Is okay…yes?"

The Helmsman wet suddenly dry lips his eyes drawn back to the colors that bled across those glimmering midnight scales. He found it difficult to string his words together.

"Ah…well… I guess so… if the Captain gave his permission…."

The Dragon hummed with pleasure. She started to sway as her tail rocked back and forth, its motion making her dance from one foot to the other. The image in his mind of a frightening predator was suddenly replaced by one that looked suspiciously like a huge, happy puppy. The bright gaze shifted to look behind him.

"Whacha do here, Abby Jones? You hunts rats too?"

The Ensign that they were SUPPOSED to be escorting safely home moved to stand a little closer. Sulu managed a quick glance, noting that although pale there was little fear present when the girl answered.

"No Ash… umm… I was heading back to our quarters…maybe some other time?"

Sulu saw her flinch and press a hand behind her ear. He realized that Ash's soft hum had shifted to a deep thrumming croon, felt more in his bones than heard by his ears. A sudden overwhelming desire had his eyes drifting back to watch the Draconian's shifting lightshow. He found that he had no desire to look away from the ever-changing colors that seemed to dance to the croon's subtle rhythm. Ash took another shuffling step, nodded, and shifted her attention to the threatening gang.

"You friends want hunt with me?"

It felt like as if Hikaru's thoughts were dragging through thick syrup as he wondered how it was possible for her to talk and maintain that croon at the same time. Tears blurred his vision as a wave of pain rolled through his head. Whispered words seemed to ride the tide in...

" _Look away…."_

At the same time, the unnatural stillness was broken by a half-strangled shout.

"We're not your friends you scaly assed FREAK!"

The whine of a weapon discharging succeeded in pulling Sulu's gaze away when sheer will power was not enough. He blinked as the plasma bolt hit Ash high on the chest. The dragon twisted slightly, her hiss of pain drowned in the sizzle and flash of a ricochet. Lifting one hand, she scratched at the long scorch mark it left behind, the only sign of damage that marred the shimmering hide.

"OUCH… you no hunt rats like that! Hunt with tooth and talon. Is taste better!"

Because he had been able to pull his gaze away, Sulu saw the fool who had fired on her drop his weapon from suddenly nerveless fingers then turn to run.

Ash's eyes flicked to red then back to gold as she watched him go. The Ensign shrugged drawing everyone's captive gaze back to her shimmering form.

"No hunt then? Is okay…I gots plenty…I share with you!"

That lean head darted down, powerful jaws biting as one hind foot pinned the carcass to the ground. Sharp teeth cut deep and with a powerful jerk, the dragon pulled the body into two pieces. Blood, body fluids and what could only be guts flew as the bitten piece was playfully flipped into the air. Opening her toothy maw wide, Ash caught it on the way down, shook it, causing more gore to splatter, then noisily swallowed the oozing chunk whole. For a second, what could only be some of the rat's intestines hung out from between deceptively soft lips. What the HELL? Sulu had witnessed Ensign Ash eating in the cafeteria on many occasions. The Draconian was neat to the point of being fastidious when she ate. The helmsman had seen some gruesome things in the Klingon attack on Ganjitsu as a child, but when those gory …noodles… got sucked greedily up like so much spaghetti, he had to clamp his lips together to fight a short, desperate battle with his rising gorge. The sounds of more than one person losing their dinner was followed closely by the thump of running feet as one more of Targath's group broke and ran.

TARGATH… sudden fear jerked his attention away from the bloody scene and to the man who held Chekov. The guilt he felt for temporarily forgetting the danger to his friend was swept away. The kid was doubled over puking up the alcohol and food in his stomach. His captor swayed where he stood, knife forgotten in one hand as his glassy eyes focused on Ensign Ash. The Russian straightened up, his confused gaze locking with Sulu's and he staggered forward to fall on his knees well out of Targath's reach. This movement caught the man's attention. He blinked, shook his head and the knife in his hand trembled. Sulu shifted his weight, preparing for a fight. He counted six now, two with firearms, they were still out gunned but with Ash's presence maybe Abby could get to safety.

A trilling purr stopped these thoughts, the sound jerking Targath's faltering gaze back to said dragon. Sulu watched but did not look directly at the predator this time. Now that he had an idea of the dangerous game she was playing it was easier to avoid getting enthralled. Ash shook her glowing fringe and flashed a confused look towards Targath's minions.

"WHATS? … oh…I forgets…humans no like raw."

She flipped what was left of the rat a little closer. Smoke and the stench of burning fur filled the alley as opening her mouth, the Draconian released a long, controlled jet of hot blue flame. Snapping those impressive jaws shut, Ash smacked her lips a couple of times, then peeled them back in a smoky, TOOTHY smile.

"Is okay I COOKS for you!"

Another shadow peeled themselves away from the gang and disappeared into the night. When nobody moved towards the still flaming corpse, the Ensign sighed.

"No… no one want eats with me?" A long black tongue flicked over the flaming carcass.

"Blech…no like burned meat, but waste not want not!"

She stepped closer, scooped up the burning mouthful and proceeded to chew it. The sound of bones cracking as they were crushed between powerful jaws was loud in the silence. It was joined by the smell of urine as one of the gang folded in on himself in a dead faint. Sulu felt more than saw Chekov, and Abigail take up position on either side of him. The enemy was down to four but at least one was still armed. Unlike Ash, Sulu's people were not bulletproof. He made a small motion with his hand…wait. The dragon was using Psychological advantage as a battle tactic. It was something that all security personnel were taught but few mastered. Letting her play this game to the end seemed the wisest choice.

The Ensign glided forward one more step. Her bright gaze roamed over Chekov, lingering as the blood on the kid's face and throat was noted. It shifted to Ensign Jones as that long black tongue flicked out, testing the air. Something seemed to shift as the muscles around Ash's eyes and nostrils relaxed when the girl tentively smiled and gave the beast a slight nod. When those eyes settled on Hikaru, the tongue flicked out again as her gaze centered on the blood staining his dress shirt and the way one arm was curved to protect his ribs while standing. Their gold turned brilliant red, and narrowed in what could only be concern. A soft growl reverberated beneath the mind-numbing, rumbling croon. With a start, Sulu realized the Draconian was checking them over, looking for injuries and field triaging their condition. Fiery red dominated her color display for a moment, then bled back to gold, to yellow, to green, blue… Sulu blinked…. Jesus…even KNOWING what she was doing he had almost been mesmerized again. He could not stifle his shock when he realized that Ash had managed to work her way very close to them without getting anyone killed!

The tongue swept out again to tickle over his face and seemed to linger, tasting the blood it found there.

"Still hungries…"

His heart stuttered at the thought that just maybe, the dragon wasn't PLAYING at anything. Maybe bloodlust had swept away all training and civility. One golden eye closed in what looked suspiciously like a wink.

"But not allowed to eats friends. Is wrong."

The hypnotizing rhythm of colors playing across the shadowed hide stopped. The deep croon was silenced as those swirling patterns stabilized back to fiery red and midnight ebony. Ash suddenly dropped to all fours. There was nothing cute about the way the dragon slithered forward, interposing her powerful body between her crewmates and the weapons still threatening them. No… the fun-loving puppy was gone… it had been replaced by a frightening predator with deadly intention written in every line of its sinuous, muscular frame. Deceptively soft lips peeled back, exposing long sharp teeth to their very roots in a gape mouthed grin. What remained of Targath's gang was pinned in place by eyes the color of frozen blood. The light tone vanished as Ash's voice lowered into a hissing deep chested growl.

"Since I see no friends HERE…. I think I shall just eat YOU!"

The narrow, long muzzled head shot forward, four inch fangs snapping shut with a sound like a gunshot to neatly remove the last half inch of Targath's nose. The sound of hard steel hitting the ground was sweet in the sudden silence. The weapons did not even get a chance to settle as the rest of the group vanished into the shadows. Their leader was left standing alone, blood running down his face while the dragon chewed once and swallowed.

Sulu's stomach rolled when that gory mouth shifted close to the frozen man's ear. Damn, he had really thought the dragon was bluffing. Yeah… the guy was a first-class creep, but he was not worth the trouble the Ensign was going to be in if she ate him.

"Bozhe moy!" Chekov's whispered words had the helmsman moving to put a hand on the warm scaled shoulder closest to him.

"Ahhh…Ensign…?!"

He was cut off as the dragon flicked a tongue to slither along her victim's sweating neck then whispered in an evil hiss.

"You…should…be…running!"

The strong odor of urine again permeated the night air as Targath staggered away with a whimper. This slight sound got louder with each step he took. The man was screaming by the time he sprinted down the alley and out of sight.

Sulu's hand tightened on the muscled shoulder he held as Ash shifted under it.

Her head twisted back, black tongue slipping out to remove a small amount of blood from his bruised knuckles. His first reaction was to want to jerk his hand away at the warm, strangely dry feel of it. But he didn't. He waited until the questioning gold eyes sought his.

"I was afraid you were going to chase him."

( _I don't want you to EAT him!)_

He did not say what he was thinking, but she must have seen it in his eyes. Something that looked suspiciously like pain or sorrow shifted over her fierce visage. Then it was gone.

"Meh…" One golden eye tilted Sulu's way as Ash shrugged his hand off her shoulder. The dragon stood up and gave a little shake to settle her fringe. She made a strange hacking noise and spat. A small piece of flesh bounced then rolled to settle against the helmsman's boot. The Ensign made a dismissive gesture with one taloned hand.

"I no chase. I no like FAST food…It gives me gas."

Maybe it was the sudden release of stress… but Ensign Jones laughed all the way as they limped to their transport site.

* * *

I pretty much have the next chapter ready to go. As always, feedback and reviews keep me motivated and encourage me to get the story up a little faster. A BIG thank you to all my wonderful readers who HAVE taken the time to let me know what they think of this tale. You are greatly appreciated.


	5. French Kiss Part I

Thank You Zanza Flux for the awesome review. I agree that in the newer Star Trek series and movies it is disappointing that all of the aliens are very humanoid in form. This is one of the things that inspired me to write this story. I cannot imagine how much fun it would be if they threw someone like Ash into the mix on a star ship. It would most likely be very entertaining! Thank you to my other reviewers also. Amber, Marla, Kat, Aboutnotblank and gkell your feedback and support are greatly appreciated and help to keep me motivated.

FRENCH KISS

Part I

Is that something you should be eating, Captain?

Kirk groaned and stuffed another bite of sticky sweet fruit into his mouth.

"Not you too… Mister Spock? Questions like that are the reason that Bones is still on the ship. I got the memo of foods I can eat from him before beaming down. Wzaliti-an cherry-pears are NOT on Dr. McCoy's official, "don't let this past your damned lips… JIM," list. I don't need another babysitter!"

He glanced over just in time to see Spock's face settle into his usual unemotional mask. Damn…had that been concern flitting through those dark eyes? Jim suddenly lost his appetite. Why was it that it seemed that every step forward in his interactions with his First Officer was followed by two steps back?

He had not meant to sound harsh, but he was getting tired of being hovered over… after all he did not have an allergic reaction EVERY time he ended up attending a diplomatic function. Although he could not help thinking that a little excitement certainly would not hurt this one! CRAP... good going JAMES! Why don't you go and JINX yourself while you are at it?

They were working their way back through the crowd after negotiations had adjourned for a lunch break. Even though this had come in the form of a virtual feast for the attending local dignitaries, there was very little on this world that was safe for "delicate" human constitutions. Their hosts had managed to come up with a very bland soup that was non-toxic, but it would not win any prizes in the taste category. Even Spock had eaten just enough of the insipid stuff to not offend their hosts. Luckily, there had been a beautiful selection of native fruits offered for desert which included the non-toxic cherry-pears. Still hungry and not looking forward to the long hours ahead on an almost empty stomach, Jim had asked their server for four of them as they headed back towards the Council Chambers.

It would have been easy to get lost in the mass of too tall, willowy, purple scaled inhabitants of this world but for the silent form of Ensign Ash striding silently behind them. The Captain made a silent note to commend his Chief of Security. Bringing the dragon as part of his security detail had been a stroke of genius. On a world where intimidation, murder and assassination were an acceptable way to advance one's position, having Ash's menacing presence along guaranteed that people kept their distance. Not only that, the crowd magically parted like the proverbial dead sea allowing them to move quickly through it. He caught Uhura's eye silently pulling her away from the conversation she was having with one of their hosts. Lifting his hand and eyebrow he silently offered her the fruit as she politely disengaged and moved towards them… Cupcake and another Ensign in the Security detail in tow. His Communications officer wrinkled her nose and gave a slight shake of her head. So much for giving the fruit to her. The sweet little orbs were getting sticky with the warmth of his hand. He slipped the last bite of the one he was eating into his mouth and juggled the other two cherry-pears in his off hand while he chewed. Maybe he would just save them for later. Throwing the fruit away was not an option. Just the thought of wasting food made his stomach lurch. Then he had an epiphany. Security usually did not eat while on duty at one of these events. Something about not being distracted. He slowed his stride just a smidge allowing Spock to get a little ahead of him. Their watch-dragon was close enough he could feel her hot breath on the back of his neck when he asked,

"Hey…Ash…did you get anything to eat during lunch?"

The warm breath moved closer to his ear.

"No Captain. We not al.…"

"CATCH!"

He cut her off as he flipped both pieces of now squishy fruit up in the air.

He was impressed at the beast's reaction time. The fruit was still rising as a lean head shot past his. Her sharp teeth snatched the first out of the air…the second was intercepted by a long mobile black tongue whiplashing out to enwrap it. That wet appendage slipped back into her mouth and Jim could not suppress a grin as the dragon crunched once and swallowed.

He wiped the smile off his face when he looked forward and realized his First Officer had stopped to look back, one elegant brow quirked.

"Is there a problem, Captain?"

Great, Spock's dry tone meant he was probably going to get a lecture on how playing "fetch" with Ash was an inappropriate way for a commanding officer to interact with one of his crew.

He secretly wiped his sticky hand on his trousers, and winced as a drop of clear slimy drool fell on his shoulder. He had to bite his tongue to keep from grinning as the image of a dog drooling while begging for treats ran through his mind as he answered.

"Nope…no problem here Mr. Spock. Everything's under contr…!"

His last words were snatched away as taloned fingers caught his shoulder and jerked him backwards.

* * *

Ensign Aish'ayla followed quietly behind her Captain and First Officer. So far, this mission had been a far cry from the doom and gloom Lieutenant Commander Hendorf had warned the team about. As assignments went, the day had been down right boring. She stood guard throughout the morning session, golden eyes tracking council members as they came and went. Lunch meant a change of scenery but eating was not on the schedule. Security's job was to keep alert for any threat to their charges. Their meal would wait until they were off duty. Ash stood quiet watch, observing those around her as they ate. She did not mind, most of the smells that tickled her nose and palate screamed TOXIC to her hind brain. Draconians could survive on most anything, but given a choice, she avoided those edibles that would make her stomachs ache. Her two assignments certainly did not seem to relish what they were eating. They finished quickly and rose to leave. As Ash moved into position behind them, Captain Kirk paused to accept several small crimson fruits from his server. The fact that hunger still swirled in the air around him explained his little snack. He was hoarding, laying in provisions in preparation for a long afternoon.

Her gaze rose to catch that of her Chiefs, a slight twist of her head tactically letting him know that they were on the move. Extending her fringe, lifting her lips, and flashing her eyes to red effectively cleared any obstacles out of their path. Her briefing had been very thorough. This was a society that thrived on espionage and death. She had permission to use any means necessary to keep bodies and by proxy, hand held weapons away from her charges. It had not taken long for her to realize that many of the intimidation techniques that worked in her own violent society, were very effective here. The security officer allowed herself to relax a little as the crowd shifted, leaving plenty of clear space around the humans and their watch dog. The dreaded "Curse of the Captain" was not going to make an appearance this mission if she had anything to say about it!

Ash was busy giving two slow movers the evil eye and did not notice when said Captain abruptly slowed down…she caught herself just before she ran his ass down.

"Hey…Ash…did you get anything to eat during lunch?"

Surprise colored her answer. He of all people should know the rules.

"No Captain. We not al.…"

"CATCH!"

It was instinct that had her head snapping out to catch the fruits he tossed up. Rules or not, the thought of wasting food was abhorrent to her. She crunched the juicy sweet tidbits once, and swallowed. It was instinct that had the mouthful being shunted away from her true stomach and into her second as alarms went off in her hind brain. Thick saliva flooded to drip out of her mouth as her body identified and reacted to neutralize the threat. One horrified thought spurred her into motion. Her Captain had EATEN some of those things! Without thinking… the dragon reached out, grabbed the man and jerked him up against her hard chest. The other hand carefully cupped the back of his neck and pulled the blonde head back. There was no fear in the brilliant gaze that met her own… just surprise and no small amount of anger. Kirk opened his mouth to yell and she swooped in, pressing her mouth to his and roughly shoving her tongue where it did not belong.

He does NOT taste good… He does NOT taste good… she kept this mantra chanting through her mind… trying to distract her hind brain from its instinctive desires.

It did not help that it whispered right back…. Yesss… he doesss!

And Gods help her… it was not lying. The Captain's subtle taste of sweet sky, solid earth and molten steel was overlaid by the tangy taste of the fruit the man had eaten. This was underscored by powerful, complex notes of old pain, deep sorrow and a quiet rage that simmered beneath, waiting to flair bright and burn everything in its path. Ash almost drew back in shock. James T. Kirk tasted very much like one of her kin! A small part of her fore-brain wondered how a human could have Dragon's blood. She filed the thought away, and pressed on. None of this truly mattered because layered over all of this, was the bitter taste of what was going to kill him.

The man struggled against her hold with surprising strength, triggering the predator within that wanted more than just a taste. The Draconian stepped hard on her baser instincts, working to beat her inner beast back into submission. Using as much care as possible she pushed, forcing her flexible tongue further down the delicate esophagus. Ash ignored as her Captain convulsed against her hard hold…hands scrabbling as he tried to push her head away. She disregarded the spasms in the muscles of his throat as it tried to push the offending object out. She found it harder to ignore the sharp teeth the closed down hard, drawing blood as the man bit the crap out of her. A muffled growl escaped as she forcibly SPAT a wad of slimy thick saliva down the path her tongue created. Another set of hands joined the ones on her muzzle and the greater strength in them almost succeeded in pulling their lips apart. She did not hesitate to use her good wing to knock the other away as the body she held, choked on what she had fed it, swallowed and finally gagged as she jerked her tongue out and just managed to turn him so that when he vomited, most of his stomach contents made it onto the floor. She blinked in dismay… so much. He had eaten so much. What little she had managed to feed him was not going to be enough. And she could tell by the anger pouring off him as he scrambled away, not to mention his scathing words… there was no way she was going to get anymore down him.

* * *

"WHAT THE HELL?"

Captain Kirk rolled away from the mess he had created (with help) and managed to stagger to his feet.

He looked up and snapped his mouth closed before more of what he was thinking could pour out of it. The look that Ensign Ash threw over his head towards his First Officer was filled with absolute dismay. She bared all her teeth and hissed at the gathering crowd as Uhura and her team ran up.

Pinching the bridge of his nose with a shaking head, he made a concerted effort to rein in his temper.

Maybe French kissing was how Draconians showed appreciation?

This did not change the fact that it felt like the beast had just window washed his tonsils!

"Jesus, Ash!… GROSS…. a simple thank…"

Kirk lifted a hand, waving his people back as he bent over gagging and coughing.

"Back off! NO Spock, I don't need medical… I'm FINE damn it!"

The mouthful he gacked onto the floor was thick and slimy and OH, MY GOD…was it SPARKLING?!

"Oh man… that's just DISGUSTI… "

All thoughts of disgust and anger were driven from his mind as a fist slammed into his heart, wrapped icy talons around it and SQUEEZED!

* * *

Spock turned back just as his Captain tossed his remaining fruit up into the air. The Science Officer did not even try to control the brow that rose as Kirk's bodyguard's head snapped out to catch and then eat the offered snacks. There were days when he felt he was dealing with a three-year-old and NOT a Vulcan one. Really, somebody was going to get a reprimand and he was not sure it was going to be the Ensign. On the other hand… both the Vulcan's eyebrows shot up as the dragon reached out, yanked the Captain back against her and proceeded to molest his face.

Usually, if Spock caught this particular human male in this type of circumstance he just looked the other way and kept walking. After all, most of the time it seemed the Captain enjoyed that type of attention. But this time, if he was reading the man's body language right, (and he was by no means an expert in that field) the pleasure was not mutual. He was already moving when he heard Ash growl deep in her throat. The fact that a growling predator had his Captain's face pretty much INSIDE her mouth had him pitching his considerable strength against hers as his hands joined Jim's in trying to pry her off. His strength meant nothing to the powerful flight muscles powering the wing that slammed into him, knocking him away from the struggling man. He staggered up, his head spinning as he gasped for breath. That blow had knocked the wind out of him. The sounds in the room were muffled. There was a flash of red as Nyota and her detail pushed their way through the crowd. Before he could enlist their aid, the dragon jerked her head away from the Captain's face and spun his convulsing body to the side. She kept her hold as the man gagged, vomiting out his recent meal…then she released him as he surged away from her…still coughing and choking. The Vulcan's shocked gaze did not leave the Ensign's as his commanding officer cursed and spit. For a moment…something pushed at his mental shields. He tightened them as an overwhelming wave of sorrow and deep dismay got through. As he locked the invading feelings out, Ash's gold eyes flashed to a fiery red. She pulled her lips back exposing long sharp teeth to their roots and hissed one word at him… "DYTHLI…!" before lifting her head with her fringe fully extended to angrily search the milling crowd. Dark eyes blinked… had he hit his head? It looked as if the Draconian's red striping had started to glow. Spock's attention was snatched away by Kirk's choked off cry and he turned just in time to catch the man as his body folded in on itself. Nyota stifled a scream behind her hand and lunged forward helping to ease Jim's trembling body to the floor. Just for a moment the Captain's bright eyes looked into his as the man arched against the Vulcan's strong grip… trying to pull in a breath. Then they rolled back. Uhura was there, fumbling with the kit at the Vulcan's side where Doctor McCoy had stored a hypo of epinephrine… just in case. He caught her wrist with one hand before she could administer it ignoring her whispered protest. His other hand rested on the Captain's neck, monitoring his faltering heartbeat. Spock would deny it to the day he died but it was intuition that told him this was not Anaphylaxis. He keyed his communicator.

"Spock to Enterprise… Emergency Medical transport requested. Situation Critical…"

Spock's gaze shifted from Kirk, to the mess on the floor, to the agitated Draconian who had pulled her Chief aside. He had not been hallucinating… Ash's markings burned a fiery red, her fringe shifted and flowed like liquid flame. Whatever she told the Lieutenant had part of the security team scattering as the dragon surged like a coursing hound towards one of the far exits. Spock kept calm (at least on the outside) as several hypotheses were formulated then discarded.

Dythli…A Draconian word. Its meaning could change with different tonal inflections. Its literal translation meant… bad meat.

It was logic that brought the pieces together just as the thready pulse under his fingertips fluttered, then stopped. POISON…

Even before the ship responded Spock had both hands interlocked on the gold clad chest. He winced as he felt a couple of ribs give on his first compression, but he did not stop. Blood flow was priority, Dr. McCoy could fix the ribs later. Unease rippled through his mind as Uhura tilted Jim's head back preparing to breath for him. POISON… the thought froze his heart.

"Nyota…. DON'T...I can do this and breath for him. You are needed here to keep this situation from deteriorating. Please explain to our HOST'S that there has been an assassination attempt. Inform them that we will continue negotiations only after whomever has perpetrated this is under arrest."

Thankfully the lieutenant did not argue, just stood up speaking rapid fire in Wzaliti-an. Several large purple forms helped the red clad security push the crowd back and more left to join those of the detail that had taken off in pursuit. Spock shifted position, forcing two breaths into lungs that did not want to accept them, then re-clasped his hands in position to restart his count.

"This is the Bridge Mr. Spock… we are locked on…how many to transport?"

"There will be Two, …"

The Vulcan did not slow his compressions down or stop counting as he answered,

"Lieutenant Sulu, please advise Doctor McCoy that the Captain is in Cardiac arrest… transport now, Medical Priority One."

* * *

CLIFFHANGER...hehehehe I would say I am sorry but... MWAHAHAHAHAHA... I am not! I have the next part of this almost complete. As always, reviews might encourage me to get it up faster.


	6. French Kill Part II

Sorry this one took a little more time to get posted. I had to do a little research into medical "stuff." I have some training in animal care but most of the Medbay scenes are written on a wing and a prayer. Please read to enjoy rather than to pick apart what meds I might have gotten wrong! This is a fanfiction. I make no money from it. Paramount and CBS own the rights to Star Trek. I own the rights to my original characters.

* * *

FRENCH KISS

part II

"Bridge to Dr. McCoy, medical emergency incoming. The Captain is in cardiac arrest and we are ready to transport on your mark, Medical Priority One."

"SHIT… Christine, get me a resuscitation kit… Everyone else get the HELL outta the way!"

People scattered at the CMO's growled order. It had to be bad for engineering to risk transporting directly to sickbay. Leonard gave his staff a few precious seconds to clear out of the designated beam-in area, before keying the com. Having someone rematerialize into already occupied space could get… messy.

"McCoy to bridge, We're ready down here…!"

Sharp eyes noted the position of both men as Spock and the Captain materialized on the floor. It was obvious that the Vulcan had not stopped his compressions before having his atoms scattered across space. McCoy was going to kick the hobgoblin's ass for that. Moving during transport was a great way to arrive at your destination in more than one piece! He decided to forgive the half-breed when he knelt to run a tricorder over the too still, gold clad chest and the little machine started screaming at him. Jim was in serious trouble. Leonard looked up to catch Spock's dark gaze as he emptied several hypo's directly into his patient's carotid artery.

"Don't stop what you are doing Spock until I tell you too!" Dark brows pulled into a scowl as the physician tried to sort through the machine's skewed readings.

"What the HELL did he eat down there?" This last bit was growled as another sweep of the medical device showed little improvement.

"This is not… Anaphylaxis…Doctor. Ensign Ash… thinks he was…. poisoned."

McCoy risked a glance as he worked. The Science officer sounded winded. Of course, breathing for two while maintaining the compressions needed for an adequate heartrate could do that to a person.

"How long, Spock?"

"It has been… four… point three…five minutes…Doctor."

"Damn… Let's get him on a bed… Keep going until we start to lift, then get out of the way… we have it now. On the count of three… One…Two…Three!"

Spock's elegant hands shifted to slide under broad shoulders as the Vulcan added his considerable strength to the task of lifting Kirk's limp body and settling it gently onto a biobed.

The strident sound of alarms rang out as most of the bed's sensitive monitors slid into the red.

* * *

Spock backed out of the way as the medical team engaged in a well-choreographed dance around the still figure on the bed. Doctor McCoy had taken his place, well-practiced hands forcing the failing heart into a firm rhythm as he barked out orders. A young Andorean male sealed a mask around dusky blue lips and attached a bag to feed oxygen into starving lungs. Nurse Chapel cut the gold shirt away before taking a sterile packet out of the resuscitation kit and breaking it open. She handed the Doctor the two small devices within and smoothly switched places with him as he deftly placed them, one on either side of her hands. He keyed a small hand held remote.

"Instigate jump cycle… on my mark…" A sharp whine cut through the sound of alarms. It peaked and Leonard snapped out… "CLEAR!" The team pulled back as the body on the bed jerked in response to the electrical current being run through its heart. It was illogical, but Spock found he was holding his breath as they all watched the thin red line on the monitors jump, twitch a little then fall back flat. Spock forgot to inhale as McCoy's lips tightened into a tense unhappy line. Strong fingers swept up a long-needled hypo and slammed it down, injecting Tricordrazine directly into the dying heart.

"Instigate jump cycle 2… on my mark." Again… the little machines whined and fired out in response to the Doctors barked order…. "CLEAR"!

For a second time, the monitor beeped once and settled. A steady lower pitched whine filled the Vulcan's sensitive ears but he still heard Leonard mutter… "Come ON kid… Ya got to help me out here. FIGHT dammit! Instigate jump cycle 3… on my mark… CLEAR!"

Spock's vision tunneled and he tried to pull in the breath he had forgotten to take. It was alarmingly hard to do against the sudden pain in his side. Still his steady gaze never left the Doctor. He had been there more than once when James T. Kirk had tried to die after receiving the transfusion of Khan's blood. Doctor Leonard McCoy was a tenacious, gifted surgeon. He had brought ever bit of his skill and knowledge into that fight to reclaim the Captain's life. But it was BONES who had screamed a challenge into the face death and through sheer grit and determination wrestled his friend's soul out of its grisly hands. An internal alarm went off in the Science Officer's mind at his increasingly illogical thoughts but was wiped away at Bones sudden reaction to the monitor's flatline.

"DAMMIT JIM, you will NOT do this again!" The man doubled up a fist and brought it down hard on his patient's sternum. The powerful blow probably broke ribs. For a moment, Leonard seemed to sag, resting his head on the hands clasped together over his friend's heart. Then…. the monitor beeped once. That head snapped up, narrowed eyes zeroing in as that little line spiked a second time.

"That's it kid… just give us another one…"

One hand rubbed gentle circles over the area it had just abused as the heart under it sluggishly contracted again seemingly in response to Bones quiet encouragement. The spikes started out slow and uneven but gradually steadied into a weak rhythm. McCoy quietly straightened up, his intense gaze never leaving the screen. He must not have liked what it told him because in the next moment, he had scooped up the intubation kit laid out by Christine, tilted Jim's head back, and inserted a tube with his usual smooth and efficient skill. The team worked with quiet determination for a few moments. Spock tried to blink his vision clear… there was no logical reason his eyes should be watering. It was with shock that he realized his inner eyelid had slid over them and refused to retract. McCoy stepped away from the biobed and ran a hand through his dark hair. His steady gaze did not leave the bed's monitors as he asked,

"How long Spock?"

The floor seemed to shift under the Vulcan's feet as something squeezed his heart in a vice. He knew what the Doctor was asking. The human brain was a delicate thing. Even with CPR, damage was possible after ten to thirteen minutes. The first time he opened his mouth to answer nothing came out. It took all the air left in his lungs to give Leonard his answer.

"Eleven minutes twenty-two point two seconds have passed from the time the Captain arrested until Sinus rhythm was re-established."

"Shit…" this was a quiet whisper. "Well… the good news is…we managed to get him stabilized. The bad news… Even though SOMETHING has bought us a little time, I have NO idea what kind of poison we are dealing with. I have him on a broad spectrum anti-toxin just for support but without a sample, any treatment we try will be about as effective as shooting bullfrogs in the dark!"

It was not the most logical of analogies but as the floor shifted again, and then slid right out from under his unsteady legs… Spock found he totally understood it.

"Fascina…!"

* * *

Leonard winced at the Vulcan's precise answer. But of course, he could not holler at him. The reason he had asked was because the computer brained half breed would know the EXACT amount of time and would not lie in order to create false hope. Jesus… how many bullets could the kid dodge before one of these "incidences" killed him permanently?

"Shit…" this was a quiet whisper. He imagined he could feel those dark eyes boring a hole in the back of his head as he studied the biobed's readouts. He was going to ream someone a new asshole eventually over this but he just did not have the heart to leave Spock hanging.

"Well… the good news is… we managed to get him stabilized. The bad news… Even though SOMETHING has bought us a little time, I have NO idea what kind of poison we are dealing with. I have him on a broad spectrum anti-toxin just for support but without a sample, any treatment we try will be about as effective as shooting bullfrogs in the dark!"

He suppressed a small smile as he turned, wanting to catch the expression on the hobgoblin's face as he burnt up a logic circuit trying to analyze that last little bit. The Doctor froze as Spock's glazed eyes met his… one brow lifted in surprise as he swayed. McCoy shouted a warning and surged forward. He was close enough to hear the man whisper, "Fascina…" as he crumpled. Knowing better than to try and catch the outworlder's dense mass, Leonard still managed to get his hands under the First Officer's head before it impacted the floor. Passing his tricorder over the long form, He could only swear as the machine told him a familiar tale complete with a failing heart and dropping oxygen levels. What in the HELL was going ON!?

Working fast, his team got the Vulcan up on a biobed. McCoy pumped some Tri-ox into him but hesitated to give Spock the same mix of drugs that seemed to stabilize Kirk. The hybrid's system was almost as tricky as the Captain's when it came to the drugs it would or would not reject. He finally opted to give the Science Officer a lighter dose of the anti-toxin and held off on the heavier cardiac drugs in the hopes that they would not be needed. He got a breath of hope when the man's system seemed to rally and his eyes opened. The Doctor could not help but notice that the Vulcan's inner eyelids did not retract all the way. When Spock tried to sit up, a steady hand on his chest was sufficient to keep his back on the bed. Whatever had boosted his failing system, it was not a cure. Still disorientated, the Vulcan struggled against him, trying to sit up. Leonard added another hand to hold him down.

"Spock… I got ya. Damn it, stop fighting me or I WILL sedate your ass!"

He breathed a quiet sigh of relief when his patient settled, dark eyes blinking as they focused in on him. He really did not want to add a sedative to the mix circulating in that weird green blood until he figured out just what they were dealing with.

"Doc..or…?"

The Doctor hid his alarm at the slurring. It, along with the glaze of inner eyelids and cardio/respiratory involvement, told him that at least part of what they were dealing with was a neurotoxin. The fact that Jim's vital readings also showed a slow and steady decline in his other major organs… a quick glance proved that this bio-bed was showing the same thing happening here. Damn, whatever they were dealing with… it was complex.

"You've been poisoned, Spock. Did you eat the same thing as Jim?"

The Vulcan closed his eyes. He was so still that for a moment it seemed he had lapsed back into unconsciousness. The Doctor shifted his hands from the broad chest to a shoulder. But he did not have to shake it. Spock shook his head slightly in answer, coughed as if to clear his throat and opened his eyes to look around. Long practice reading body language had Bones snatching up an emesis pan to slip under pale lips. He helped the man to raise himself enough to spit into it.

"Ash…encouraged… the Captain to vomit what he had eaten…" One finger made a motion towards the pan. Spock settled back against the pillow, clearly exhausted by the effort of moving and speaking clearly. "I was not able to completely clear his airway before starting mouth to mouth."

McCoy passed his tricorder over the saliva. The fluid was slightly discolored and streaked with a clear thick slime. The little machine whistled at him as it detected several organic compounds that should not be there. He did not let his disappointment show that there was not enough "sample" here for him to effectively isolate what was killing his friends. A steady beep joined the tricorder, drawing his eye to the biobed readouts. Without a word, he reached over and engaged the bed's stasis field. Spock's falling oxygen levels proved he was unable to draw a full breath on his own anymore. The bed's auto-respiratory system would assist failing muscles with the act of breathing as the paralysis advanced.

There was understanding in the dark gaze that met his when he looked up. That and the passive acceptance of his medical aid in a man who usually fought him almost as hard as Jim eloquently drove home the fact that they were running out of time. Without a viable sample of the toxin to create an antidote, there was very little he could do accept treat the symptoms and engage life support when that failed. He held out little hope that their bodies could purge themselves before the damage became terminal. He drew the small amount of liquid out of the pan and into a sterile pipette. He would run what tests he could with it. If what little toxin Spock had managed to ingest while giving CPR was affecting the Vulcan's tough constitution this badly… What little hope he had for his friends plummeted. GODS…things just could not GET any worse! The Doctor was turning to hand the sample off to Christine when a Spock lifted a hand, hooking his finger into McCoy's surgical tunic to get his attention.

"Leonard… I believe Ensign Ash partook of the same poisoned fruit as the Captain."

For just a moment, McCoy froze as he remembered the LAST time the draconian had graced his Medbay. It had taken weeks to repair the fire damage! Then he dove for the comm.

"Bridge… I need a direct line to Lieutenant Hendorf."

The seconds it took for a response dragged like the ass end of a Louisiana gator.

"You are connected Doctor McCoy."

"Lieutenant Hendorf, Ensign Ash needs to be transported to MedBay Stat. She's been poisoned."

The Security chief's answer was to the point if not a bit breathless.

"Damn it…Doc. We need her. Ash is tracking the perps, thing's got a nose…ahh… tongue like a bloodhound. She seems fine. Matter of fact we are having a hard time keeping up with… WHOA…!"

It sounded as if the man slipped then caught himself before falling.

"Shit…oh that's just GROSS…she drools like a bloodhound too!"

This last bit was muttered so low Leonard could hardly hear it.

"Lieutenant… why don't you leave the medical assessments to me? After all, it IS a part of my job description. Drooling is one of symptoms of a neurotoxin. Get her scaly ass up here… NOW!"

"Damn…." Leonard could hear the shock in the man's voice as he shouted at one of his crew. "HEY Drake, call in the hound… She needs medical atten… SHIT!"

McCoy could only listen as phasor fire cut the security chief off. It was accompanied by loud thumps, and some inventive cursing. This was followed by what could only be the roar of an enraged dragon along with the distinct whooshing sound Ash made when she flamed. After that, there was nothing but screaming.

"Lieutenant Hendorf…. HENDORF…Christ man…ANSWER me!"

"Sorry Doc… Ash got the bastards! I am sending her up… HOLY crap! ASH… STOP! What the…?"

Leonard found himself privy to a very one-sided conversation.

"Yeah… Dr. McCoy is going to need that. Well…he SHOULDN'T have swallowed it but… I mean REALLY Ash…that's just gross! Never mind… Dr. McCoy, Ash is ready to beam up and she's got something you need."

Leonard was already moving as the bright gold of a transporter beam filled room. He snatched up the beefed-up tricorder that Scotty had rigged for him to deal with Draconian armor and was scanning Ash's orange smeared form as she solidified. He blinked in surprise. Although there was a multitude of scorch marks all over the dark form, along with a thick sheen of saliva that was drying on her mouth, her vitals were well within norms. Orange blood was splattered liberally over her chest and stomach...none of it hers. It also coated those long taloned hands all the way up to Ash's elbows. McCoy stepped back as the dragon swung her head close to the bed that Kirk rested on. Her tongue flicked out questing over the Captain's still form without touching. It lingered for a moment as it passed over the respirator then slid back into her mouth. Her golden gaze swept over Spock, then centered back on the Doctor. He could only stare as she lifted one hand and opened it. Nestled in her palm was a small glass vial. He did not even try to hide the way his hand shook as he carefully took it from her. The glass was covered in orange gore but Bones could see it was half full of a vile green liquid.

"Is needed for Captains and Spock…. Yes?" McCoy nodded, not trusting himself to speak as he wiped the little vial clean with an antiseptic wipe. For a moment, Ensign Ash sounded apologetic about the mess.

"The Dythli swallowed it when caught." Those golden eyes shifted to blood red as the dragon's lips pulled back in a nasty smile when he looked up. She answered the question she saw in his eyes before it reached his lips. Reaching out with one gory hand, a very sharp claw carefully tapped his chest at the base of his throat and lightly traced a path over his medical blues to his groin. Her next words came out in a deep chested, rumbling croon.

"I had the pleasure of…removing… it for him. That one needs no help now!"

Leonard's brain stuttered to a halt for a precious moment, overwhelmed by the image of Ash clinically eviscerating the assassin. The little piece of his mind that wasn't occupied trying to figure out how to condense the process of finding an antitoxin from days into hours wondered if the killer had still been alive when she pulled his innards out, looking for that tiny vial! As his gaze lingered on Jim's monitors and he realized that they most likely did not even have hours… he found he just did not care! His hand tightened over the sample. Like hell if he was going to waste another minute worrying about a killers last moments! As McCoy went to turn towards the labs, Ash stalked forward. A powerful hand closed over his wrist. Her head dropped until her face was level with his as her grip tightened almost painfully, forcing his fingers open.

"I Gives the Captain Lai'o." The Dragons' long face looked sad. "No help… not stay inside… Lai'o MUST stay inside to fix."

Before the Doctor could pull away, or even draw breath to scream at her. Ash's tongue swept out to coil around the vial and pull it into her mouth. The sound of her teeth crushing glass was loud in the suddenly silent room. Bones could only stare in wide eyed shock as the dragon twisted her mouth at the taste and swallowed. Almost instantly, thick slimy saliva flowed out from between her soft lips to cascade over his hand and splatter on the floor. The tight grip on his wrist loosened and he pulled his hand back as he found his voice.

"What the HELL… Ash. I NEEDED that!"

A rustle from Spock's side of the room had Leonard's head snapping around. The Vulcan had pushed himself up until he was half sitting. The Doctor just managed to stop the scathing words balanced to leap out of his mouth. He had seen that focused look many times… the pointy eared bastard was working through something in that computerized brain of his.

"Ensign Ash, what exactly is Lai'o?"

The draconian made an odd noise in her throat, then spat a glob of slimy, thick saliva onto his Medbay floor. Leonard was jaded when it came to something triggering his YUCK-o-meter, but his initial reaction was…EWWWW… that could not possibly be sanitary! Followed closely by… What the hell… was that crap GLOWING?

"Is Lai'o…give to hatchlings. Helps when eat Dythli."

That saurian face invaded his personal space again as Ash pinned McCoy with a desperate look.

"Is Lai'o! I gives to Captains… he spits out. Boneses gives Jims and Spocks… Make keeps inside!"

"Doctor…" McCoy did not need the Vulcan's input in this. He had already put the pieces together.

"Shut up and lay yer green ass down…Spock, I've got this! CHRISTINE…oh!" His shout was cut off as his head nurse pushed between them and held an emesis pan under Ash's long nose.

"There is no need to shout, Leonard! SPIT ensign…"

Two pair of eyes blinked at the tone of command in the nurse's usually soft voice. The Doctor hastily backed up as the dragon hacked, gagged and filled the pan. Leonard grabbed a second pan and took Chapel's place as she hastily carried the first pan into the lab.

His command was considerably softer than hers… the dragon looked a little sick.

"Again… please."

Ash rolled her eyes at him… and gagged with an awful hacking noise.

The third time he asked, Bones took a moment to make a pass with his tricorder. It proved that the toxin had no effect except to give the Ensign an upset stomach. He ordered Ash to settle into a corner where he could keep an eye on her and ordered an I.V. to flush anything harmful out of her system. The dragon started to protest when Nurse Chapel asked her to open a wing a little to gain access to a good vein, but shut her mouth when McCoy stuck his head out of the lab. One hard glare had her hunkering down to meekly offer her wing to the needle. The CMO noted his Nurse giving the scaled shoulder a quick pat as she taped the line down, then he went to work.

Fifteen minutes later found him waking Spock out of the light meditative state the man was using to slow the advance of the toxin. He set a glass filled with the thick, slightly sparkly fluid down on the bedside stand. McCoy's initial assessment that they might not even have hours was proving correct. Almost all of Jim's stats had slid into terminal territory. They were rapidly running out of time.

"Spock… we have run a few preliminary tests, but…"

The Vulcan's dark eyes wearily studied his face.

"You do not have enough time to ensure that the cure will not do more harm than the poison?"

The Doctor scrubbed a hand over his face and leaned his hip against the bed.

"Your damned green blood makes figuring out drug interactions a nightmare…but Jim… Spock, I would really like to know if there are any nasty surprises I need to prepare for OTHER than the very real possibility of anaphylaxis before I give this to him."

Spock shifted in the bed until he could see Ash, sitting quietly in her assigned corner. His words were soft with what could very well be mistaken for wonder… IF Vulcans were prone to that sort of thing.

"Many of the legends surrounding d'rachanya on my wor… "

McCoy winced as Spock cut himself off. He couldn't stop his glance up to the feed on the biobed. The half Vulcan rarely slipped like that. New Vulcan was his home now, as it was to the ragged remnants of his people. He looked down and then away, giving his friend a small amount of privacy to compose his features back into their customary emotionless mask. Spock cleared his throat and continued.

"On Vulcan, as on Earth there were many legends that revolved around the magical nature of Dragons. It was believed that different parts of the creatures had medicinal properties. In other cases, it has been proven that many such myths have a kernel of fact at their core. I will take the Lai'o first. With my Vulcan constitution, I am the logical choice."

McCoy picked up the drink.

"This is structured to be absorbed through the stomach lining Spock. We don't have the time to isolate and synthesize the antitoxin in it. I can tube you if you don't think you can drink it."

The look Spock gave him was classic Vulcan.

"I will drink it."

"Yeah…that's what I figured."

As Leonard helped steady the Vulcan's hand, the medical side of his brain noted that the toxin induced tremors had worsened. The Lai'o sparkled under the Medbay lights as it seemed to ooze around the inside of the glass in reaction to the movement.

He could have mixed something in it to make it more palatable, but without knowing how that would affect its potency he did not dare. McCoy opened his mouth to apologize only to snap it shut as dark eyes met his over the rim of the glass.

"I BELIEVE this falls squarely in the realm of Bones, Rattles and Whistles, Doctor."

A small smile managed to push its way through McCoy's worry.

The Doctor's professional side wrestled with his inner devil, and by God the asshole within won out. His smile turned into an outright grin as he tilted the glass so his patient could drink. He just could not resist.

"Ya know Spock, you are awfully cocky for a hobgoblin who is gonna have to choke down a whole glass of Dragon Drool!"

* * *

Pain is the first thing that registered as the darkness that held him down gave way to flashes of light and sound.

Something tapped lightly on his chest and he flinched, trying to move away from the knife it seemed to stab deep.

"Come on Kid, wake up… yer killing me here."

The soft southern drawl promised a world of pain, but it also offered comfort, kindness and warmth. He struggled towards it only to hiss as his abused chest was tapped again.

"Dop…i…ones!"

HOLY CRAP… not only did his chest feel like a full clan of Klingons had danced an irish jig on it. They had also done unspeakable things inside his mouth and down his aching throat! Ar…agh… even moaning was torture. The hand left his chest to be replaced by the sharp pinch and hiss of a hypo. His pain eased off enough that Jim managed to peel his eyelids off his aching eyeballs. He managed to focus them on a pair of bloodshot hazel eyes, centered in a haggard face, topped by an unruly mass of dark hair. Damn, Bones looked awful. Guilt added itself to the pain in Kirk's chest. He hated to be the reason for the stress and pain that left lasting scars on his friend's face and heart.

"Srry, ones…"

Ahhhh…. The scream was a silent one… his throat had not felt this bad since the day three vulcanoids had taken turns trying to kill him. A straw bumped his lips and he sucked on it greedily. The blessedly cool water was accompanied by a gentle warning.

"Just a sip or two… Jim. And ya don't need to apologize. Wasn't yer fault this time." The straw was removed much too soon and his bed gave a little as Bones leaned a hip against it. Long fingers ruffled through his hair and a warm hand settled on his shoulder. Kirk was always surprised at the gentle strength that resided in the Doctor's hands. Callouses built up over years of handling surgical equipment were an odd counterpoint to the man's sensitive touch.

"What do you remember, kid?"

Kirk scrabbled around in his aching head…trying to dig something up. He remembered eating lunch…then… Surprisingly soft lips pressed hard against his own… the feeling of choking as something long and thick forced its way down his throat…his heart being torn… His mind shied away from the memory of that agonizing pain and latched on to the memory of swallowing something nasty and... yeah…that would explain his sore throat along with the nasty taste lingering in his mouth. His stomach rolled and he could not stop a reflexive gag at the memory. Quick hands rolled his protesting body and a pan was deftly placed under his mouth.

"Try really hard not to vomit Jim… I removed your stomach tube after administering the last dose of ahhh…. antitoxin. Your body still needs that crap and you sure as shit don't want to have to take more of it orally!"

It seemed important to his friend so the Captain fought his stomach to a standstill before answering Bone's original question. The words he forced out of his abused throat sounded as if he had been gargling with glass.

"I member… face-raped by Ash… then not…ing."

"Face-raped? Well isn't THAT a pretty image. Ya'll might want ta remember that next time YOU pull it on some poor unsuspecting female."

HEY…. The Doctor snickered at his expression and gently removed the unneeded pan.

"Don't be too hard on the dragon, Jim. Her…kiss… as gross as it seemed bought both you and Spock a little time."

Kirk had been letting himself slide back into the beckoning darkness. The Doctor's words had his eyes snapping open… headache be damned.

"Spock…what…?"

He struggled to sit up, looking wildly for a familiar face on the empty beds around him only to have McCoy swear and pin him down with remarkably strong hands.

"DAMN it, JIM…don't you DARE get up…You were POISONED you pain in my ass! Sonofa…quit fighting me! AH just got all yer innards working properly again!"

He struggled harder. Things must have been bad…Bone's Southern accent only got that thick when he was truly upset. Where was Spock!?

There was a blur of blue and a second pair of much stronger hands joined in to press him flat. Pure relief washed what little strength he had away. Gasping, Jim allowed himself to be pushed down, not missing the fact that his friend's hand shifted and remained resting lightly over his heart as Leonard monitored his racing heartbeat. The man always had preferred "hands on" rather than relying on the very sophisticated machines of his profession. Spock's hands also moved… one settled to rest on his wrist, monitoring things in ways only a Vulcan could.

"Please relax Captain, I am well. The Doctor's Witchcraft was quite effective…. this time."

Bone's gave a funny little snort, but did not argue back. That was just…weird. Kirk was going to ask for the whole story but was distracted by the hand leaving his aching chest to reach for a loaded hypo…shit!

"Mister Spock…REPORT!

The hand hesitated at his neck as the Doctor gave him a small reprieve.

"Keep it short and sweet, Spock."

"Our negotiations are currently on hold, Captain. Future meetings have been postponed until you have recovered enough to attend. The Wzaliti-an council wants to make personal amends for this… unfortunate incident."

Kirk winced as the hand holding the hypo at his neck shook slightly.

Bones voice was a soft growl.

"Unfortunate incident my ASS! They were fine with you being a stone-cold corpse. They back pedaled damned fast when someone pointed out that there would be severe consequences for poisoning a Star Fleet Captain AND his first officer! You can thank Uhura's silver tongue for that… the purple snaky bastards!"

Jim's vision was slipping in and out of focus so the subtle anger that seemed to flow across his first officer's face MIGHT have been a product of his imagination.

"Indeed…. Whereas assassination is entirely acceptable in the Wzaliti-an culture. To remove a rival with the use of poison is considered, dishonorable."

The hand that was not holding a hypo tightened as McCoy shuddered. For a moment Kirk could not figure out which of his friends looked more green.

"Yeah… as a matter of fact, the council was a little upset at Ash. It seems that being eviscerated and having an angry dragon play "find the weasel" inside yer innards while you are still breathing and screaming is not a harsh enough punishment for that particular crime. The fact that she flame-roasted the bastard beforehand seemed to mollify them a bit."

The hand that lifted to make a pass over the Doctor's mouth was shaking. "Jim… PLEASE take a moment every now and then to occasionally remind me that it is NOT a good idea to piss off the dragon!"

The image that played across the Captain's mind was not pretty. A part of him hoped that Bones had not had to play witness to the assassin's dead body. A quick glance at his friend's pale face told him otherwise.

A sudden vision of playing… Fetch… with Ash had Jim struggling to sit up again.

"Where's ASH…I fed her…"

A sharp pinch on his neck was followed by a sharp hiss as he pushed Bones past his breaking point.

"ENOUGH… yer dragon is FINE, Jim!"

The traitorous hand put the now empty hypo down and gently patted one of his shoulders. The man's next words were considerably softer.

"You can bet I took damn good care of that beast. She is fine Kid…Ah sent her to her quarters to get cleaned up and get some sleep hours ago. Now close your baby blues and go…to…" The soft southern drawl faded away as Jim drifted into warm darkness.

* * *

The **precordial thump** that Bones used is a blow to the lower half of the patient's sternum using the lateral aspect of a closed fist. It is an old method used to "shock" the heart muscle back into a normal rhythm. Since the advent of the Difibulator, it is rarely used as it can damage the sternum and break ribs. I expect that with Dr. McCoy being an "Old country doctor" (his words, not mine) AND a trained battle trauma surgeon, he would have knowledge of some of the older techniques that did not rely so heavily on technology. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and am already working on the next. as I stated before...these read like shorts but there is a larger story contained within. Hope you are having as much fun with this as I am. Please leave a review and let me know! a bif THANKS to those who have taken the time to leave me feedback. I do love hearing from you!


	7. SNAFU

In case you don't know SNAFU is military speak for Situation Normal all Fucked Up! I own NONE of Star Trek. I also make no money from borrowing their characters for a bit

* * *

S.N.A.F.U

Ash stalked quietly along the dark, narrow corridor, all senses on alert. She had to work hard at keeping her hide a shadowed black. Her kind rarely used stealth to hunt. It was unneeded in a predator that usually struck on the wing. The abnormal life she had led as a nestling had awakened instincts so deeply buried in her people they were now looked upon with contempt. Unrelenting hunger was the whip that had forced her to hone these shameful skills into weapons few of her kin could match on the ground… IF they lowered their esteemed selves to try. This was something her prey was going to regret. A whisper of movement in the darkened space behind stacked provision containers ahead had her dropping down to all fours before slithering towards the sound. Testing the air with tongue, nose, and frill, the dragon determined that there were three warm bodies huddled behind what THEY thought was a good ambush point. Ash lowered her tail and allowed it to coil its flexible length along the polished floor. The soft hiss of hard scales whispered into the darkness. Her foe reacted just as she predicted they would. Humans, at their core, were herd animals... always seeking safety in numbers. Idiots they were for clumping all together like that! Her dark form paused, narrowed red eyes tracing the line of huge metal boxes that towered above. Rising silently to her full height, the dragon tested a claw against the metal edge of a crate… nodding to herself as it made little noise. A rather nasty grin parted a mouth filled with sharp teeth. Ash was willing to bet the fools were not looking UP!

* * *

Where in the hell was Ash? Sulu shifted uneasily… and tightened his grip on the sabre in his dominant hand. Cold steel was not the best weapon to rely on in the dark but the weight of the familiar blade was more comforting than the phaser that filled his other hand. The helmsman peered out into the shadows but his vision was practically useless, a fact that made an already tense situation worse. Being hunted was never pleasant. Being hunted in the dark by a highly-trained KILLING machine? Sulu could think of better ways to die. He had not started his day with the intention of joining Security in this little foray. Captain James T Kirk had a distinct talent for ruining other people's plans. It seemed that the man felt that spending most duty hours at the helm was making his command crew's reconnaissance and survival skills a little rusty. That was how Sulu found himself scrabbling through the dark in the company of a couple of redshirted security personnel, tracking a frightening killer all the while waiting with bated breath for Ash to make her move. He strained his hearing trying to locate their target along with any approaching threat. All he could hear was the heavy breathing of his companions. He wanted to hiss at them to QUIET down before they got everyone caught but could not risk the noise. Speaking of which…what the hell was that? Damn… there was no way this stress could be good for his health! With a couple of nudges and shifting around they all brought their weapons up in preparation for jumping whatever was coming down the corroder. He noticed the way that the other two had drawn closer to him at that odd little sound whispering out of the dark. THEY were trained security so it made him feel a little better that HE was not the only one who was more than just a little spooked. At the same time…the calm analytical part of his mind took stock of their position and calmly pointed out that maybe they should not be standing so close together. Just as he was starting to take a step back a disturbance in the air above snapped his useless vision up. There was a sound like a parachute opening and the helmsman just had the time to scream, "Oh…. SHIT! INCOMING!" as the black form of death dropped in amongst them. What followed was mass mayhem consisting of phasor fire, rending claws, snapping teeth, and what could only be a flashing sword interspersed with lots of screaming. It ended when the writhing mass comprised of three struggling humans and one dragon smashed into the bottom of the stacked crates, bringing the whole mass down with a ground shaking crash.

* * *

Doctor McCoy was in his office taking advantage of a slow day in Medbay to get caught up on his reports when his com beeped to life. He sighed, the peace and quiet had been too good to last!

"Security to Doctor McCoy, we have a bit of a snafu down here in Cargo Bay three… Could you come take a look at Lieutenant Sulu before we try to move him?"

Leonard blinked… what was security doing in a cargo bay and why was the helmsman with them? His mind shied away a little at the thought… Sulu was known to be a bit of an adrenalin junky. Hell, who was he kidding, the only one who had that particular bug worse on the ship was yours truly… James T. Kirk! This thought had him up and moving as he answered.

"I am on my way, McCoy out!"

He flagged Christine and grabbed a medkit before heading out the door. They did not run, Hendorf would have coded the call if there was a life on the line, but they were still moving at a good clip when they came through the Cargo bay door. Both slid to a stop at the sight that greeted them. There was a mass of dented, banged up storage crates scattered across section A. Red shirted Security personnel scurried like fire ants working to clean up the mess. A quick glance confirmed that two battered forms were seated on one box. Lieutenant Hendorf knelt by another who was dressed in command colors that was laid out at their feet. That had to be Sulu! McCoy suppressed a curse as he started forward. When he got closer it was evident that the Security Chief was analyzing data from the battle gear all three men wore. Something the man saw had his head snapping up to shout at the group restacking the crates.

"Damn it ASH! You were NOT supposed to BITE!"

He was answered by an odd, snuffling snort followed by a muffled…

"They's not supposes to TICKLES!"

Leonard caught a flash of red stripes as a long scaly tail appeared from between crates. It gave a sharp flick and something metallic and very bent came skittering across the floor. Hendorf straightened and kicked the ruined sabre so it slid behind Christine before Sulu could see it. At McCoy's wide eyed look, he rolled his own eyes towards the prone helmsman and put a finger to his lips.

"I don't want to upset him."

One brow slowly rose as a lean hand lifted to gesture towards this whole… mess.

"Maybe ya should have thought of that before…" Bones let his words trail off.

Hendorf gave a little shrug.

"Reconnaissance and defense training… Idiots got a bit carried away and brought the whole damn stack of containers down on themselves. It's a damn good thing the dragon is fast or they would all be flatter than flat and we would be SCRAPING them off the floor!"

One of the seated men whined…

"It's not our fault…that THING cheated!"

McCoy saw shock flash through Hendorf's hazel eyes, then they changed to cold green ice. He felt a moments pity for the poor fool. The chief could move FAST for a big fellow! He was in the man's face before he could blink. Bones noted that his head nurse carefully eased out of the line of fire. She would not have done that if either were seriously injured. Because of this the doctor did not interfere as one blunt finger stabbed out to thump into the man's chest.

"There IS no cheating in a scenario like this Walker! There is only win or lose, live or die. You should be thanking that THING'S scaly ass because without her fast reflexes, losing this time could have been a permanent condition for you. Now shut up before you find yourself standing watch in the garbage bay for two weeks instead of just one!" The Chief shifted back to pace in front of the pair. "Our resident vicious, killer beasty managed to survive this encounter pretty much unscathed. I am afraid I can't say the same about the rest of you." Again, that finger stabbed out to poke each man in passing. "You are dead. You are BEYOND dead, and you…" the man stopped in front of the distinctly battered looking helmsman and the scowl on his face got down right frightening. "I need to stop underestimating you gold shirted bastards, YOU managed to get out of this scenario a little chewed up, but alive."

McCoy knelt to pass his tricorder over Sulu's training armor mostly out of curiosity. His, just like the gear the others had removed, looked as if Ash had used the men as chew toys. He could not contain his snort.

"Wouldn't be that way for long! This says he's concussed, got a compound fracture of the tibia, lacerated kidney, possible separated spine…fractured ribs and a punctured lung… not to mention there's evidence he got hit at least once by friendly fire! If this were real, the boy might still be breathing but he'd be critical before we could get him to Medbay."

The Chief of Security shot him a dirty look and shrugged. "I never said he would be HAPPY he was alive!"

Sulu shifted under his hand and grinned, "O. m GOD…that wss fun! I'mm all tingly. Morrish shot me… think he got Walker too!" One of the helmsman's eyes was already swelling shut. He blinked and squinted blearily up at McCoy. "I Wassh doing kay til the sky fell an I got squished uner a ton a dragon!"

Bones winced and started unclipping buckles. He needed to know if the other injuries the vest was feeding his tricorder were just a product of the training armor's strike telemetry, or if there was actual damage under the virtual gear. There was no disputing the concussion was real and the tingling was the residual effect of the training phasors. At his questioning look Hendorf grinned unapologetically.

"You get zapped a time or two in practice, it tends to make ya move a little faster when peeps start shooting at ya for real!"

The man did bend down to lift the helmsman up a little so McCoy could ease the beat up armor off. The surgeon's educated eyes noted there were definite bite marks on its tough flexible exterior along with a multitude of weird blue streaks… laid out in a definite three clawed slash pattern. A quick glance proved that the gear the other two men took off so that Christine could run a tricorder over them looked much the same. His tricorder purred to itself when he made another pass over Sulu. This time all it did was beep once or twice as it marked a particularly bad bruise or strained muscle. Sulu was going to be one sore cookie, but other than the slight concussion there was no serious damage. This fact did not stop him from giving the lieutenant a dirty look of his own.

"What part of pitting flesh and bones against something like THAT," he jerked a thumb towards Ash's broad back as she picked up a crate it usually took a power hoist to lift and carefully stacked it on top another, "…sounded like a GOOD idea!?"

Hendorf had the reputation of being a cold hearted, muscle bound bad ass, so Bones was shocked when pure anguish flashed across the rugged features before it was swept away by rage. If looks could kill, the piercing glare that pinned the Doctor would have had him rolling belly up. McCoy watched those big scarred hands clench into fists and hoped he was not going to get punched in the face. The damage the man could do had been painfully apparent in his first meeting with Kirk. Time and life's experience had given the guy a better handle on his temper it seemed, because he visibly wrestled himself back under control. The guarded look that flashed towards the redshirted cleanup crew spoke as eloquently as his softly growled words. Together they shattered Leonard's assumption that the big man did not care about those who served under him.

"It's been brought to my attention, that when redshirts go up against things like THAT on Away missions… nine times out of ten…they are chewed up and spit back out as bloody corpses! I don't like watching my people DIE, Doctor. If having to bleed a little while training against some… thing… like Ash increases the odds of surviving the real thing when it happens, and you KNOW… it will happen… its worth every bruise and broken bone!"

Not for the first time, Bones wished he had swallowed those words before spitting them out. He was very familiar with the specters of guilt, sorrow, and pain. He felt them every time one of the crew ended up under his scalpel and he lost his very personal war against death. Hendorf's and Montgomery Scots departments competed for the top space on Medbay's "most catastrophic injuries" list. Any responsibility Bones might feel towards the souls that ended up consigned to the cold and silence of the Black had to be felt tenfold by the man that had ordered his crewmates and friends into the line of fire. Some of what he was thinking must have shown in his expression because the anger on the other man's face softened with understanding. Not trusting himself to speak, the Doctor signaled the team Christine had called down to float the medical gurney over to collect Sulu. He was more than surprised when Hendorf offered him a hand up. As he rose, sharp eyes noted a fine spray of drying blood splattered across the Chief's bare arms and the black of the under shirt stretched across his muscled chest.

"Lieutenant, where's your over-shirt?"

Those hazel eyes followed his gaze down and blinked as if the man had forgotten he was out of uniform.

"I gave it to Ensign Ash. I don't know if it's from getting smacked by a falling crate or from the enthusiastic bludgeoning she got from Sulu and that ridiculous sword of his, but she's got one hell of a bloody nose."

Leonard froze for a moment, thinking about just how hard a blow it would take to give the draconian a nosebleed. All thoughts of leashing his mouth were totally forgotten.

"Christ on a cracker… Hendorf! Please inform me as to WHY an injured member of your crew is over there working like an Amish pack mule and NOT over here getting checked to make sure…oh I don't know… that her BRAINS are not possibly leaking out her nostrils!?"

The man winced and opened his mouth to explain. Bones did not want to hear it… He cut the man's stuttered explanation off as he bellowed…

"Ensign ASH… get your scaly ass over here!"

The dragon's head popped up and she set the crate she was carrying down to stalk towards them. Leonard watched for any wobbling or instability as she walked. She sniffled, wiping her nose on a wadded red shirt held in one taloned hand before lowering her head at his command. He could not help but notice that her claws were capped. At least PART of Hendorf's brain had been working! A quick glance at her slit pupils proved they were both equal and reactive, although they did cross a bit as she tried to track the tricorder he passed over her skull. She snorted a thin trickle of blood out both her nostrils as he swore at the little machine… it was absolutely no help. Putting it down, Leonard ran sensitive hands over the wedge-shaped skull, down the lean muzzle and along the narrow jawline. While he felt for cracks, heat and swelling he asked the standard questions… are you dizzy, any nausea, have you blacked out… Ash shook her head at each one of these… slinging drops of shimmering crimson blood. She almost dislodged his touch when she flinched away from his gentle probing. He paused, his fingers moving back to linger on the high curve of her nose. The smooth skin felt hot there. Shifting along the bony structure… McCoy could feel a slight grinding instability between both the left and right Lacrimal plates and the nasal bones in between. A soft growl vibrated under his touch when he pressed, the dragon's reaction to something that had to be very painful. He eased up with a quiet apology.

"Sorry Ash, I think you've broken your nose."

He turned and plucked a couple of ice packs out of his kit along with a wrap. Getting some cold therapy in place should help with the swelling and hopefully stop the internal bleeding. Cracking each one to activate the chemicals within, he reached up to place them over the hot spots. He held them in place as Christine appeared, taking the wrap and binding the packs in place. Another quiet growl rumbled out in protest as the nurse pulled the wrap tight. Leonard shifted the dragon's attention away from his nurse's fragile hands.

"Did Sulu hit you here?"

He could not help but flinch as Ash snorted a fine spray of blood down his shirt.

"NO…We knocks boxes down. Smacks one aways with head. No fall on Sulu." Those golden eyes seemed a little guilty as she watched the medical team loading Sulu in to a gurney for transport down to Medbay. McCoy did not think the helmsman's concussion was serious but he wanted to run some tests and keep an eye on him for a few hours. The man grinned and waved a hand at them before someone grabbed it and tucked it under a strap. Ash had the decency to wince a little as the bed disappeared through the door.

"Smacks Sulus little bits too. Sorrys… better than flats head."

The image of the dragon using her head and body like a battering ram to knock a falling two-hundred-pound metal box away from her crewmates had the doctor swearing because he could not drag her ass down to Medbay and strap it into a biobed. Even with the tweaking that Scotty had done to his tricorder, he doubted the little machine would pick up anything short of a massive system failure.

Christine finished and Leonard slide his hand down the flat plane of Ash's foreface until he picked up a small amount of blood as it dripped off her nose. He did not remember it shimmering that way drawn into an airproof vial when he had taken the sample for her baselines. As a matter of fact… at the time, he had been a little surprised at how much it had looked like something he would pull out of his own arm. Another drop fell to splatter on his shoe. Part of his mind registered that he had seen that odd shimmer before but another falling drop distracted it away from the thought. The ice was evidently not going to be enough to slow it.

"Tilt you head back Ash."

The Dragon balked and made an odd gagging motion.

"Don't wants to swallows blood, is GROSS!"

Both McCoy's brows shot up. He was sure the Ensign would not have a problem swallowing someone else's blood! He slipped a hand under the hard chin and force her head up and back.

"Well… I don't want it splattered all down the front of me so tilt your damn head back! I need ta get that bleeding stopped before I can even TRY to figure out how I'm gonna repair your freaky bones. If the tricorder can't penetrate your thick skin the Osteo-regenerator does not have a snowballs chance in HELL! We need to talk to one Montgomery Scott about that."

That lean saurian head shifted out of the position he had put it in to slow the bleeding. Ash looked at him and nodded.

"I likes Montegomeries Scots!"

Something about the combination of moving, speaking and the cold of the ice must have tickled the dragon's sinus cavities because without warning she sneezed… violently.

Bones did not stand a chance.

The Ensign took one look at fine spray of blood splattered across Leonard's medical blues, his arms, his face, and his wildy blown hair and hastily tilted her head back.

"OUCH…..Oopses… sorries."

Hendorf doubled over, howling like a crazed hyena until he looked up to catch the full power of his CMO's evil eye. He hastily smothered his laughter, it was not wise to piss off the man who would be performing your next physical! Ash snuffled and slanted a sideways look at his bloodied face, the muscles around her eyes, lips and nostrils softening as she gave him a distinctly embarrassed looking dragon smile. He jerked his head towards the doorway and did not look to see if she obeyed the silent command to follow him to Medbay. As people hastily scattered out of his way, Leonard took a moment to count himself lucky that it was just blood and not acid, or fire he had been splattered with. Walking through the ships corridor's, looking like the serial killer from an old-time horror flick seemed a small price to pay.

* * *

I can imagine that training to deal with situations so totally out of the norm that an Away team might encounter would be strenuous, imaginative and down right dangerous. I can also imagine that a good Security Chief would think outside the box in the effort to keep his team alive and breathing. That could lead to situations... just... like... this!

The next chapter will be the second part to this little bit. Its time for a certain scotch drinking chief engineer to enter the mix! I hope you are enjoying the story. Thank you again to all who have taken the time to review. It does motivate me to work a little harder getting these chapters out! Please take a moment and let me know what ya think!


	8. Thin Skin

As usual... this is a fanfiction. I make no profit from it. I DO appreciate reviews though!

* * *

Christine's eyes flew wide at his bloodied appearance when McCoy came through the Medbay door followed closely by Ash. The concern that first appeared in her eyes was wiped away by laughter as the cool, antiseptic air triggered another draconian sneeze.

"OUCH… Oopses…"

He froze, eyes closed… the dragon had been walking close enough he could feel her breath on the back of his neck. As a result, his back now matched his front's blood speckled state. Hazel eyes popped back open when the odd feel of cooling blood spattered across the back of his neck was replaced by the hot, strange feel of a tongue rasping it away! Spinning around he found himself face to face with her bloodied muzzle.

"Personal SPACE Ash!"

There was distinctly guilty look on the saurian face as that black tongue was whipped back into her mouth.

"Sorry's."

Chapel, to her credit, did not let the laughter reach her mouth. Always the consummate professional, his head nurse handed him a damp surgical towel so he could at least wipe his face while he checked her report on Sulu. It proved his initial diagnosis. The man had a mild concussion and would be sore as hell for a few days but had escaped any serious damage. Scrubbing at the back of his neck with the towel in one hand, McCoy used the other to reset the sensor module on the biobed that Scotty had recalibrated for him.

"Ensign, I need you too…" He was cut off by the shrill of the manual lockdown alarm. The swoosh of the Medbay door slamming shut, followed closely by the loud thump of a heavy body running into it had his head snapping around. Christine cocked an eyebrow at him from where she stood, hand still poised over the lockdown button. Ash was slowly picking herself up off the floor. The smudged bloody nose print on the door was testament to the fact that the dragon had tried to make a run for it. The look she shot Chapel's way was accusatory as she rubbed her already abused muzzle.

"OUCH. Nots nice!"

Christine, bless her heart, met that look with a steely gaze and jerked a thumb towards the bed.

"I never said I was nice."

Ash gave the head nurse a wide berth as she slunk towards the bed. Leonard sympathized with the beast. There had been more than one occasion he found himself on the wrong side of Christine Chapel. Even though he was her commanding officer, those moments had not been pleasant. The pretty blonde's sweet exterior hid an inner bitch that was flat out scary when she let it out to play!

He gently patted the bed… "Come on Darlin. You don't have to get on your back. Just lay on it like you normally sleep. It won't k… um… It'll be okay."

Flashing him a wary look, the draconian tapped her fingers on the edge of the bed for a moment. The doctor did not miss the way her golden eyes never left his face as she surged up to settle gingerly on her side. Nor did he miss the flinch and the way those capped talons dug in to the mattress when the monitors sprang to life. Ash blinked as Christine appeared, careful hands removing the icepacks and gently wiping all traces of drying blood off the dragon's long muzzle. Leonard noted that the bleeding had stopped. His fingers danced over the bed's sensor controls. By boasting the signal, he managed to bring her general vitals up but it was not enough. As before… he could see the basic structure of the Draconian's physiology, but even with his and Scott's tinkering, the bed's sensors just could not pick up any fine details, like a cracked skull. Worse, if this advanced equipment could not accurately read through the Draconian's weird skin and the dense surface of her bones… there was no way the medical regenerators were going to work. A quick glance proved that things were still relatively quiet in Medbay. There was nothing here that Christine could not handle. Leonard motioned for Ash to hop down while he walked over to key his comm.

"Dr. McCoy to engineering, Is Lieutenant Commander Scott working on anything… explosive?"

Medbay was evidently not the only department enjoying an unusual lull in action as it only took a moment for the Chief of Engineering to answer.

"This is Montgomery Scott… Things are relatively quiet down here at the moment Doc, what do ya need?"

Out of the corner of his eye, McCoy watched as Ash sidled over to the bed were Sulu was sleeping. Her tongue flicked out and traveled over the man without actually touching him. Evidently satisfied with what it told her, the dragon settled on her keel and watched as Christine appeared with a clean medical tunic. The pointed look his head nurse gave the blood stained one he wore had Leonard shrugging out of it while he talked.

"Do you remember that little problem I was having with Ensign Ash? It's still a problem."

"Och… the adjustments didna work then?"

"They helped, but not enough that I can rely on them in a Coded Emergency."

Bones could practically hear the gears turning in the man's nimble mind in the silence that followed. He waited… if there was anyone who could figure this out… it would be the engineer. The man LIVED for fixing the impossible.

"If she does not mind me takin a bit of a look, bring the lass on down ta engineering. It's gonna take some hands on to see what's causing the interference."

Bones glanced at Ash and she rose to walk over.

"Is okay. Can Abby Jones comes helps?"

Surprise tinged the Scott's answer but he took the request in stride.

"Sure she can… Abby's off duty but I bet the lass would not mind coming in to give us all a hand. We'll meet ya in maintenance bay three."

* * *

Lieutenant Commander Scott was better with machines than he was with people… but he took the time to know those souls that worked under him. He was not surprised when Ensign Jones made it down to the maintenance bay seconds before the Doc and his patient walked in. Of course, Ash was Abby's roommate and despite a rocky start, a strong friendship had developed between the two gals. It had been Abby's idea to manufacture the protective covers for the Draconian's sharp claws. Speaking of which…

"Hey Lassie… How's the caps working for ya?"

The dragon gave them a toothy grin and wiggled her blunted talons in greeting at her roommate before turning her attention to the Chief.

"Is goods. No ones is leakings but me!"

At his confused look, McCoy spoke up.

"Ensign Ash was involved in a training accident. I got the bleeding to stop but am positive she's got some nasal fractures. I can't repair the actual damage without visuals and a working Osteo-regenerator."

Scotty nodded. He had been itching to get some hands-on time with the Draconian ever since the CMO had asked for his help in calibrating one of the bio-beds to work with her unique physiology. There were few species that incorporated heavy metals as part of an armor matrix in their actual skin. The only one he could think of offhand was the Horta.

"Okay then… first order of business is finding out why the sensors canna penetrate. Abby, Let's start with the Spectrophotometer."

* * *

McCoy crossed his arms and leaned against a wall. His best bet was to just stay the hell out of the way as the two engineers practically swarmed over Ash. He had to give the dragon credit… she was a lot more cooperative with them then with him. Of course, neither of them had tried to kill her… Yet. He idly noted that Ensign Jones seemed to have conquered her phobic fear of her roommate. She not only moved around Ash with total confidence…she had no problem poking and prodding the dragon either. That might be saying something for exposure therapy. Leonard snorted. Of course, this did not mean HE would be planting his ass in a shuttle anytime soon! Hazel eyes followed Abby as she slipped through the door most likely getting another kind of obscure sensor. His silent observations were interrupted when Scotty let out an excited exclamation and waved the Doctor over.

"HA... will ya look at that! The lass's skin isna blocking the sensors signal… she's absorbing it! Her skin is basically one big energy conduit. That's why phasor blasts have no effect. The concentrated beam hits one spot and either gets absorbed or dissipated harmlessly along her mass. It's an amazingly efficient system. It would take a hell of a lot of power to create an overload. Heck I wouldna doubt that the lass here has some conscious control of the process. I wonder where she is storing it?"

McCoy joined him, leaning a hand casually on Ash's shoulder as he looked at the information flowing across the Chief's PADD. He could not make heads or tails of it. He did not read Engine-ese!

"What do you mean… store it? You mean, like a battery?"

Golden eyes slanted a rather sly look back at the doctor, than narrowed in concentration. He jerked his hand away from the warm hide but was a little too slow. Crackle… crackle… ZAP! A bright blue spark jumped towards his hand and McCoy yelped as his nervous system was lit up!

"SONNUVA…."

His startled curse was cut off by howls of laughter. Scotty bent over and rested a hand on Ash's other shoulder while he tried to breath between guffaws. "HAHAHAHA…serves ya right ya hypo happy…" Crackle… ZAP!

"HOLY HELL…" The engineer danced away shaking his hand. Leonard got one look at the man's hair standing straight up and lost it. Abby came running through the door (yeah… it figures that engineers might be a little sensitive to the sound of an energy discharge in their work areas!) and just stood watching the two officers as they got things down to just the giggles. She rolled her eyes at Ash, and the dragon huffed quietly in response.

"Nots hurts…"

McCoy snorted, his nerves were still tingling.

"Speak for yourself darlin…"

"Just tickles little… Elders are worse…theys kills."

That sobered them up.

* * *

Scotty watched McCoy wrestle his laughter under control. Twas a shame really, the doctor very rarely laughed. Bones was known as a consummate grouch. Very few besides the Captain got to see the man let his guard down enough for a good belly laugh. Wiping his own mirth induced tears out of his eyes, the engineer turned his attention back to his PADD.

"Well, now that we know what the problem is… how do we fix it? Just increasing the signal on yer equipment will be as effective as putting galoshes on a pig. No matter how we boast yer regenerators… her skin is just gonna absorb the signal…"

Abby cleared her throat, getting both to look away from the computer consul.

"What about sonar, Chief?"

The girl looked uncomfortable as both C.O.'s gave her their undivided attention. She flashed a quick look Ash's way.

"Draconian's native language can only be described as musical. When Ash sings… it's like her whole body becomes a sounding board. Sound waves are a completely different form of energy than radiation, electricity, or light and Draconian's are designed by nature to send AND receive it…" The girl let her words trail off, flushing at the look the two men were giving her.

"WHAT… it could work!"

"Yer a genius lass! Now, why didna I think of that? Doctor, didna they use ultrasound in medicine in the past?"

The CMO frowned.

"They did. Sonograms were common in Obstetrics but were rather limited as a diagnostic tool. Advances in Bio-synced Scan Imaging made them obsolete."

The engineer nodded.

"In other words… ya donna have an Ultrasound in Medbay."

Leonard snorted.

"No… and if I did, no one on staff would have any idea how to operate an antique like that."

Scotty grinned and gave the dragon's shoulder a friendly thump.

"Well it's a good thing Ensign Ash here is friends with an engineer. Hey Abby, see if you can find me the Resonating Sonic- Imager, I'll start setting the sensors up."

Noting Leonard's confused expression, Scotty explained what he was doing as he stuck a series of sensors on the dragon's sleek hide.

"We use the RSI to check a shuttle's multi-layered hull and infrastructure for sub-molecular cracks and metal fatigue… by using several different frequencies it should give us a clear image of the Lass's inner workings."

Scott made his way down one side as he talked and was working his way up the other when he paused for a moment. Because he had never seen Ash open her flight limbs, he had almost forgotten about them. The dragon's bright gaze followed his circuit around her. Her black tongue whispered out to flick over four of the devices before he applied them to key points on her wedge-shaped head with the doctor's input on placement. Stepping back, he picked up the last six.

"I need ya ta open your wings lass… I want to get a complete scan if this works." (Not to mention he had been secretly dying to see the dragon in all her glory since the first time he had seen the legendary winged beast stalking down the ship's corridors!) He was on her right as that wing unfolded and he did not even try to stifle his whistle of appreciation. The powerful flight limb was a beautiful piece of natural engineering. Long and elegant finger spars supported a sleek span of flexible sail that stretched from the talon tipped spars to attach along the length of her body. Thick chest and back muscles were the engine that powered the machine. Sliding a hand down Ash's fore-limb just for the sheer joy of touching such a thing, he placed a sensor at shoulder, elbow and wrist. Because he was still marveling at the open one, he did not notice the intensity of Ash's gaze as her head followed him when he shifted to her left. He DID notice the slight flinch of pain and the stiffness in her movements as she opened the wing on that side. Then all he saw was the god-forsaken horror the movement revealed. For a moment, actual physical pain twisted his heart as his shocked gaze followed the twisted bones and took in tattered sail. This was swept away by pure unadulterated rage.

"Mo Chreach… BLAIGEARDS!"

Frozen by shock he could only watch as Ash flinched away from him, her whole shaking body sinking and pulling in as she tried to make herself appear small. He knew fear when he saw it. Embarrassment he might understand, but what did the dragon have to fear? Ash turned her good side towards them and lowered her whole front end with her head tilted just off the ground, her throat exposed. It was a classic submissive posture. And with that, he had the answer to the first question. What did a dragon have to fear except others of her kind? Humans did not have a monopoly on prejudice within their own species!

* * *

Caught up in the thrill of finding a possible solution to Ash's medical mystery, McCoy did not think to give the engineer a heads up about that damned wing. He did note the flinch and stiffness in the dragon's movement as she unfolded the thing and stretched it as far as it would open.

Even knowing, Leonard's visceral reaction as a physician to the sight of that ruin was just as bad as the first time. He had anticipated that Scotty's reaction as an engineer would be as bad but forgotten that the man could be a bit… volatile. The man jerked as if mortally shot…

"Mo Chreach… BLAIGEARDS!"

Leonard did not have to speak Gaelic to know a curse when he heard it. He was more concerned by Ash's reaction, although he was sure she was responding to the tone and not the actual words. When she had shown her wings in Medbay, his reaction had been one of shock. What anger he had felt had been hidden behind a professional mask. The Dragon's reaction had been one of shame. What he saw now was abject fear. Great… any trust he had built up with the beast was back to square one.

He could not see the Chief's face, but Ash's cringing reaction had him hissing… "SCOTTY!"

The Doctor stepped back as the man spun around, hands balled into tight fists. There was naked fury on the Scott's white face as he slammed both fists down on the control panel.

"FAIGH MUIN… Why was that no FIXED!?"

The man's thick brogue came out in a low-pitched growl… his deep breaths were proof to how hard he was fighting to keep control.

Before Leonard could open his mouth to answer the swoosh of doors opening followed by a loud crash jerked both their attention towards the door. SHIT… he had forgotten about Ensign Jones. The girl stood in the frozen in the doorway. The equipment Scotty had sent her for was in a haphazard pile where she had dropped it in shock. Every bit of color drained from the Ensign's cheeks, making her wide honey colored eyes look huge. For a moment, Leonard was sure she was going to faint. Then her face crumbled and she staggered towards her cowering roommate.

"Oh… ASH… I am so sorry…!"

Anything else she said was muffled as she fell to her knees, threw her arms around the startled dragon's neck and buried her face in it. Any fear that the doctor had that the stressed draconian might react badly was washed away as Ash uncoiled from her lowered stance, golden eyes wide with concern.

"You is LEAKING! Why you leaks, Abby Jones?" The girl did not flinch as a long black tongue flicked out, delicately lifting a tear off her wet cheek. The dragon's head shot up in alarm.

"Is bitters… You HURTS!" Powerful arms spun the sobbing girl around and pushed her towards the two men.  
"You is Doctors… you FIX Abbey Jones, stops leakings NOW!"

Scotty was faster and caught the girl pulling her into a tight hug so she could cry against his chest. One hand lifted to smooth her hair as he looked up to catch Leonard's eye.

"Does the Captain know?"

Ash's eyes flashed red as she threw her head back and keened. The multi-layered sound that reverberated around the bay was so filled with fear and sorrow that all three humans staggered, reeling under the emotional onslaught.

"NO… no tell Captains… I is useless… is a-a-abomination!" One hand hooked out snagging his medical blues and McCoy found he was very thankful for the caps that blunted those sharp talons.

"No tell Captains! I Aish'ayla. No fly… no sing… no be seen… no be heard. Is best. Aish'ayla be small, stay in shadows, no be hurt…. No be killed!"

The distress that accompanied this cry was such that Leonard reacted without thinking. He reached out and pulled the dragon's head down until he could cradle it against his chest. Lowering his own head, he pressed a cheek against her fringe, whispering assurances that Ash's secrets were safe, that she was NOT nothing and that she was amongst friends where she was also safe. He was joined by Scotty and Abby as they pressed close to stroke and pet the shaking beast, all the while pledging that the dragon could trust them. Between the three, Ash slowly calmed down. When her shaking had almost stopped, McCoy stepped back. He was followed by Scotty. Abby took Leonard's place and continued to whisper to her friend.

Scotty wiped his eyes with a shaking hand.

"Jesus, Mother Mary… I think we all need a wee bit of liquid fortification … hold on a minute."

Even though he was technically still on duty, the doctor did not turn down the tumbler of fine Scotch that magically appeared in front of him. Neither did Ensign Jones. Scotty offered some to Ash, and managed a small smile when that black tongue flicked out, tested the liquid and whipped back inside. She shook her head and screwed her nostrils shut in disgust.

"EWWW… Whys you is drinkings that? BLECH!"

McCoy lifted his glass in a toast.

"Why darlin… this here is liquid gold!"

The dragon snorted.

"Is NOTS… gold tastes betters!"

Abby choked on her drink. When she was done sputtering she grinned.

"You can take her word on that… the greedy thing ate one of my rings before I could stop her."

Raising an eyebrow, the doctor quietly muttered.

"Well now, I guess that answers the question as to where the metal in her skin comes from."

It only took a few seconds to finish setting up the RSI. Human ears could not hear the frequencies that the resonator used but Scott still warned Ash before triggering the machine.

"You let me know if this hurts in any way Lass."

Her hide shivered as the wave of sound passed through. At McCoy's questioning look, the dragon huffed.

"Is tickles."

Both engineers crowed and high fived as a detailed view of the draconian's anatomy was displayed in real time on the monitor.

McCoy did not join the festivities. He was busy analyzing what he was seeing…HOLY CRAP was that a second brain? His trained eye also picked up a couple of small details that raised red flags. He HAD to have a talk with Hendorf. Although the dragon's unique characteristics made her appear indestructible… she was far from it. The hesitancy when Ash had opened her wing that he had contributed to shame could very well have been a response to pain. There was an area of heavy bruising over the shoulder that had born the impact of a falling crate, along with several torn muscles in her back and neck. Thankfully this and the broken nose was something that would heal with little medical intervention. Although painful, the injuries would resolve on their own with a little rest… this time.

Even though the engineer was sure he could rig a bio-bed with the ultrasound, Scotty made it clear that there was no way he could make the regenerators work through Ash's skin. If she was ever severely injured, Bones would have to open her skin to get clear a path for the regenerators to work. The man did offer him a solution on actually piercing said skin.

"I might be able to design a sonic scalpel. And the lass would have ta be aware while ya worked or she might accidently discharge and fry ya! Me thinks that would ruin yer day."

Leonard shuddered at the thought. If Scotty were right, he would have to resort to the ancient methods of cut and stitch to deal with any kind of severe injury. Add to this the Draconian version of playing Russian roulette! The very thought gave him the willies, even without the threat of quasi-electrocution and exploding dragons. Dammit he was a Doctor… not a Tailor!

Later, after sending the roommates off to their quarters, the two men settled in Scotty's office. The engineer's brogue was soft as he poured them another drink without looking at the surgeon.

"Can ya fix it?'

Leonard lifted his glass, watching the amber liquid swirl around. He had been asking himself the same question since he first laid eyes on the crippled limb. It all boiled down to the one premise that all medical students had drilled into them.

"Primum non nocere… First Do No Harm. It's a basic tenant of the medical field." At Scotty's confused look he continued.

"I'd have to re-break and re-build every crooked bone, detach and stretch shortened muscle, tendons, and ligaments and pray to GOD that there was enough healthy tissue and vascular supply in her sail to repair the areas that are damaged. Whether the whole mess would heal properly without some idea of what kind of therapy we need to do WHILE it heals…" He finished his drink and set the glass down. "Ta give ya the short answer Scotty… I just don't know."

* * *

I hope you all are enjoying this. THANK YOU to those who have taken the time to leave reviews. They go a long way towards keeping me motivated.

 **"Mo Chreach… BLAIGEARDS!"** translates loosely as "God Dammit… Bastards!"

 **"FAIGH MUIN"** translates loosely as "Fuck me"


	9. Chapter 9

First off, my apologies to my readers. Life has thrown some serious shit at me since I posted my last chapter. Between moving off grid, building a cabin, having my husband of 25 years fall suddenly ill and then passing away on October 22nd, writing has just not been high on my priority list. I have picked up pen again in the last week as a form of therapy and hopefully will be posting on a more regular basis. As always, this is a fanfic, I make no profit from it. I own no rights to the Star Trek characters but my original characters belong to me. At this time I could really use some encouragement in the form of reviews.

 **Breakfast ala Enterprise**

James T. Kirk stared at his breakfast and sighed. He glanced around. Yep, this was personal. Sulu and Chekov had full plates of delicious bacon goodness, mixed with just the right amount of sugary carbohydrates in the form of waffles swimming in buttery syrup. Uhura did not count, her breakfast tray of fruit and whole wheat toast was as Spartan as a Vulcans. One of these days he was going to have to find an excuse to kick one Leonard H. McCoy's ass. The Captain halfheartedly stirred the contents of his bowl and looked up, right into the smiling face of his CMO as the man settled across the table with his own meal in hand.

"That's DOCTOR Leonard H. McCoy… Jim."

The smile on the Doctor's face changed to a smirk before he could even open his mouth to answer.

"I could tell by the look on yer face what you were thinking and it wasn't complimentary!"

Jim snorted.

"OATMEAL Bones… what did I do to deserve this?"

The other man grinned and sipped his coffee.

"I warned ya that I was going to restrict your meal card if ya did not take me seriously about changing your eating habits. A good diet includes variety. In my professional opinion, changing from buttermilk to blueberry pancakes does not count." McCoy made a point of looking his tray over. "Oatmeal with fruit, whole grain toast and a poached egg… I don't see the problem here."

Any retort the Captain might have made was interrupted as Scotty plopped into the chair next to him.

"Oatmeal… good choice Capt'n. It's the prime ingredient in Haggis ya know… now that's a proper stick to yer ribs, manly breakfast if there was one!"

The odd looked that crossed Leonard's face had Jim hastily picking up his spoon.

"Don't you even THINK it. If anything that even vaguely resembles oatmeal boiled in a sheep's stomach appears on my plate Bones, I WILL airlock you, best friend or not!" He took a bite… "Mmmm… good oatmeal… YUM. Just what the Doctor ordered."

Then he elbowed his snickering chief engineer in the side… hard!

"STOP giving the man ideas, Scotty!"

"Ach… as my good momma use ta say Capt'n, stop complaining and eat yer porridge! There are starvin wee bairn's out here who would kill for it!"

* * *

The Scott was busy creating a breakfast sandwich out of his ham, eggs and toast so he did not see the look that crossed Kirk's face at this flippant remark. McCoy did though and he had to restrain himself from kicking the engineer under the table. As CMO it was his responsibility to make sure the crew stayed healthy. Monitoring their meal cards was a way to make sure everyone was getting adequate nutrition. Most of the time he could tweak a crewman's diet in such a way that they did not even notice but dealing with Captain James T. Kirk, as usual, was a complicated affair. Leonard had read the classified reports on the atrocities that had happened on Tarsus IV. The one or two times that his friend had actually talked to him about surviving that clusterfuck had made it very clear that these "official" accounts only brushed the surface of what Jim had endured in that hell hole. The starvation, torture and horrors that the child had experienced forced his developing mind to create coping mechanisms that were a psychological nightmare as adult. Because of this, Jim's eating habits swung like a pendulum between an almost anorexic abhorrence of food when under stress, to impulsive binge eating of anything high in sugar, carbs or fat when the man finally allowed himself to eat. It was a viscous cycle that McCoy had worked hard to bring under control over the years without his friend knowing that was what he was doing. This time, he was saved from the task of distracting the man's quick mind from painful memories when a wedge shaped scaly head slithered over his shoulder so a long black tongue could flicker over the Captain's tray.

"Haggissses? What is Haggisses? Is it tasties?"

"CHRIST on a cracker! Personal SPACE, Ash!"

Ensign Ash pulled her tongue back in so fast it cracked like a whip, stirring his hair in its passing.

The Doctor's reflexive jerk sent his own tray skittering across the table only to be saved from sliding off the edge by a pale, long fingered hand.

His wide-eyed stare was met with a raised eyebrow as Spock slid the errant tray back and gracefully sat down. Ignoring the choked off snickers coming from Scotty's corner of the table, McCoy noted the gleeful look that pushed back the darkness that had started to gather in Jim's brilliant blue eyes. The man tried but could not keep a smile from dancing across his lips. Leonard silently thanked the big scaly beast before pinning first Spock with a narrow-eyed glare, then switching it over to Ash. At least the DRAGON had the good grace to look embarrassed as she ducked her head.

"I swear on my grand mama's grave, one of these days I am going to prescribe bells for BOTH of you!" Leonard pulled his eggs, grits and gravy close and tried to still his racing heart. Spock, he could understand, all Vulcans moved with a silent uncanny grace. (Leonard would bet his right hand they were taught that skill from childhood but he wasn't asking!). Ash was another story though. It was unnatural for something as big as the Draconian to move with so little sound. Before he could say another word, Scotty managed to quit laughing long enough to scrape his chair back from the table and stand up.

"Ach… stop brow beating the wee lass Doc… Ya can't fault her for getting excited about Haggis!" The engineer scooped up his sandwich and patted the table. "Plant yer scaly butt here Ash and eat yer breakfast. You can find me later and I'll see if we canna coerce the replicators to spit out a decent example for ya to sample."

McCoy choked on his mouthful of grits as Kirk's eyes flew wide. The blonde silently mouthed "WEE lass?" as the Doctor coughed into his hastily snatched up napkin. The "Wee" lass's scaly head withdrew from his field of vision and something hard wrapped around his abdomen then squeezed, allowing Leonard to clear his airway. He could not help but note that both Draconian's hands were occupied holding her tray. A startled look down with watering eyes proved that he had just been administered a Heimlich via Dragon's tail! The look on his face must have been priceless because the concern that had started to appear on his Captain's face dissolved as the man doubled over in a fit of giggles.

"Hahahaha… I KNOW I told you that getting a piece of TAIL would go a long way towards helping with your permanent case of the grumpies Bones, but…HAHAHAHAHA...that is NOT exactly what I had in mind!"

There was a slight tug at his midsection as said tail withdrew. Clearing his throat, McCoy glanced over his shoulder. Ensign Ash was watching Kirk with what could only be confusion in her golden eyes. The Draconian shifted her feet nervously and lifted her head…quite clearly looking for another place to sit. Leonard kicked Jim in the shins under the table eliciting a yelp. The moron was still grinning like an idiot though when he waved a hand towards Scotty's vacated chair.

"Come on… Sit down Ash, inquiring minds want to know, what DOES a Dragon eat for breakfast?"

"Logic would dictate that no matter the meal, a Dragon would eat whatever it chose to."

Thankfully Leonard had yet to take another bite. Kirk on the other hand managed to sputter a mouthful of oatmeal across the table at these softly spoken words. All eyes at the table turned towards the ship's First Officer. Spock finished making an entry in his PADD whilst chewing a mouthful of vegan omelet. The absolute silence at the table finally had him lifting his dark eyes. He met Ensign Ash's bright gaze and gave her a slight nod.

"Am I not correct in this?"

For a moment, Ash did not move. Then a slow nasty smile curled her lips up over dagger like teeth. Her friendly visage shifted letting the deadly predator within peer out of her saurian face. Suddenly, what had seemed a joke did not feel as funny anymore. The Draconian's answer was a soft rumbling growl.

"You are correct… Commander Spock."

There was a clatter at the end of the table as Chekov, who had been quietly shoveling in large quantities of food, dropped his fork. The young Russian's face turned a delicate shade of green as his wide-eyed gaze focused on Ash. Across from him, Sulu stiffened and slashed a narrowed eyed look towards Spock. Leonard had treated the two for scrapes and bruises following what they described as a slight altercation after a shore leave several months ago. A quick glance at Uhura proved that he really needed to talk to them again about what had REALLY happened. The woman's chocolate complexion was now several shades lighter. He should have known that they would talk to the communications officer long before sharing pertinent facts with him. Her dark eyes lifted to pin Spock with a look that SHOULD have had the Science officer rolling belly up, before she sighed and pushed her unfinished breakfast away. Spock's only reaction was to quirk one elegant eyebrow up before taking another neat bite of his breakfast. Damn it, the pointy eared hobgoblin was also privy to whatever secret had not been shared with him. Leonard stabbed a piece of egg with his fork. Just wait until the next round of crew physicals were due. He would teach them to leave him out of the loop! A soft huffing drew his attention back to Ash. The frightening predator disappeared as she delicately plucked one of several apples off her tray.

"I likes apples though. They no screams when you bites them." Sharp teeth sliced through white juicy flesh as she bit the fruit in half. The dragon crunched once and swallowed, then held what was left of the apple up. "See no screamings."

Kirk's eyes followed the apple and flew wide.

"Apples…WHAT the… ?

Bewilderment was the only expression on his face as the Captain scrutinized the Dragon's breakfast tray. Leonard's eyes were still on Ash so he caught the look full of pain and shadows that crossed her long face before her lips peeled back off sharp teeth and her eyes flashed red. The Doctor tried to push a warning passed suddenly dry lips…

"Jesus…JIM…"

Those taloned fingers convulsively closed over the edges of her tray as Ash pulled it closer to her heavily muscled chest with deep growl.

"Is MINE…"

* * *

Kirk didn't pay any mind to Bones strangled words but the soft rumbling growl in Ash's two words jerked his attention away from her tray and straight into a golden gaze that was rapidly turning red. Oops! He had learned at a very young age that you do not mess with an animal's food while it was eating. He sure as hell wasn't going to try it with something as…toothy… as a dragon! Before he could open his mouth to tell her so, the hostility in Ash's gaze changed to fear as her eyes locked onto his astonished ones. The dragon ducked her head as she hastily looked away. She swallowed her bite of apple and extended the other half as an offering towards him. There was not hostility in the dragon's next words…only apprehension.

Is good… is allowed…. yes?"

One talon carefully shifted the other apples on her tray over to join a full dozen hard-boiled eggs, still in there shell, that rolled around the edge of a large steaming bowl of… oatmeal? What the… were those raisons swimming amongst the butter and cream? When he made no move to take the half-eaten apple. The Dragon gently set it with the rest, then slid her tray towards him.

"You can has. I is not that hungries."

If the wistful look that accompanied those softly spoken words had not raised all kinds of red flags in his mind that something was way off here… the painful kick that Bones gave his shin under the table sure as hell did! He growled softly and flashed a grim look at his friend. He, of all people did not NEED that physical prompt. This was not the first time he had seen the weak give up food to appease someone in control. Why something as deadly as Ash would think she needed to do this, he did not know. But the part of his psyche that he kept deeply buried vibrated in sympathy with what it recognized was a kindred soul. Jim instinctively knew that this particular dragon was well acquainted with hunger, maybe even starvation. He swallowed the rage that this brought roiling to the surface and managed to keep his voice gentle and steady as with a smile as he slid her tray back to its proper place.

"I don't want your food Ash. I have plenty of my own here." He picked up his spoon and filled his mouth to demonstrate he was quite content with what he had. After chewing and swallowing he casually waved the utensil in the general direction of her tray, "I just figured your breakfast would be more…I don't know… raw?"

Ash flinched away from him and her lowered gaze shifted as she glanced in uncertainty around the table. Kirk gave silent kudos to his command team when each person smiled as that golden gaze touched them and each person scooped some of their breakfast into their mouths. Spock set his fork down and wiped his mouth before calmly meeting the dragon's confused look with a serene one of his own. "Ensign… I believe what the Captain is asking in a very inarticulate way…" Kirk chose to ignore the snickers that came from Uhura and McCoy and he got some satisfaction as a Vulcan eyebrow of death stifled the amusement before the First Officer gently continued. "Are the ships replicators meeting your dietary needs in a satisfactory manner?"

The dragon blinked, and she tapped an egg gently with one talon before picking it up.

"These are raws…I likes the way they crunches."

The other eyebrow slowly rose as Ash hastily stuffed the egg in her mouth, crunched down on it, and used the back of her hand to wipe off a small amount of yolk that leaked from between her lips.

Sulu quietly cleared his throat. "She likes to eat dock rats raw, Captain."

Ash flashed the helmsman what could only be described as the mother of all dirty looks.

"Peoples no likes when I eats raws. It makes them leaks."

Jim could not help it, both of his eyebrows joined Spock's.

"Leaks?"

The dragon swallowed her egg, opened her mouth and gave a fair imitation of a person gagging. The reproachful look she shot towards Chekov had the young man squirming in his chair.

"I was FINE Keptain until she slurped up the things guts like they were my Grandmothers Lapsha!"

Ash's head snapped up. "HEYS… I COOKS the second one before eatings!"

Ckekov stabbed a fork at the beast.

"Bozhe moye YES…it was still SMOKING…and you chewed it with your mouth open!"

Kirk's astonished gaze sought out his CMO to see if the man knew what the hell they were talking about. The Doctor's wide eyes and raised eyebrows matched his own. Very lnteresting… Bones was as much in the dark about this as he was. The Captain took some sick satisfaction that this had to be driving his friend's obsessive/compulsive ass nuts!

Uhura distracted him by groaning and covering what was left of her food with her napkin… "Well thanks for the charming image…that pretty much takes care of lunch for me and dinner too!"

Ash's bright gaze swung around to meet Kirk's as she picked up her bowl of oatmeal.

"SEE… Ship foods is good. I likes… I eats and no ones is leakings!" She finished her statement by slurping down half the warm cereal before setting the bowl down with a solid thump.

Kirk opened his mouth to reply and the Dragon pinned him with a hard look and picked up another egg. The Captain wisely shut his trap as Ash's attention jerked away from him…she waved the egg in the air at someone behind him.

"Hey… Abigail Jonses…. comes sits and shares foods with me!"

Jim looked over his shoulder at the tiny brown-haired woman in engineering red who had come up carrying her own breakfast tray. Her caramel eyes flicked from the waving Draconian, to the other Command officers at the table before finally settling on the ship's Captain. He could see the moment she decided to refuse the invitation due to rank ethics and cut it off before she could open her mouth to answer Ash.

He pulled out the empty chair next to him and turned on the charm.

"Please Abigail… there is no reason you shouldn't join us?"

The girl blushed, but really could not say no to her commanding officer. He flashed her his best smile as she nervously sat down, trying to put her at ease… and kicked Bone's shin under the table at the CMO's derisive snort at his tactics. The poor thing looked as if she was too terrified to eat. He casually stabbed a piece of his fruit and pointed it at Ash as the dragon scarfed down another apple.

"So… how do you know our resident dragon?"

Her eyes flicked up to his, shot over to Ash then, oddly, settled on one Doctor Leonard McCoy as her delicate fingers started shredding her napkin.

Bones leaned back in his chair, returned the girls anxious look with a warm one of his own and answered for her.

"Well Abby here is the lucky crewmember that drew Ash as her roommate."

"Really…?" Kirk sat straight up in his chair then hunched in next to the girl like two friends sharing secrets.

"I am sooo jealous! I bet you girls talk about all kinds of interesting things when you are off duty. Do you ever talk about… rats?"

Ensign Abigail Jones froze… as did everyone else at the table except Bones… well… and Spock… Which he expected, after all It was almost impossible to rattle a Vulcan. He was stunned when Abby took a deep breath, carefully refolded her napkin then leaned in close to him and loudly stage whispered,

"I have been told by an expert that dock rats are not only juicy and sweet, but eating them raw is much better for your constitution than eating fast food…which can give you gas."

Down the table from them Sulu choked on the swig of coffee he had just taken, giving everyone at the table the dubious pleasure of seeing him snort the dark rich brew out his nose.

Ash's head jerked up… "EWWWWS… that's nots my fault…I no make him leaks!"

The girl grinned at her roommate then gave Kirk a cheeky wink before picking up her fork. "But I personally wouldn't know… I have never tasted one."


	10. Shore Leave Part 1

First off, a thank you to my readers who are still reading this as I know my updates have been abysmally slow. The death of my husband of 25 years in October 2017 and then the Suicide of my adopted son in January 2018 have basically wrecked the life I thought I had. I have finally managed to get things back to a semi even keel and finally have the time and desire to write again. I hope you all are enjoying Ash's journey.

This is a fanfiction. I do not own any of Star Trek. This story is being written for fun not profit. I do own my original characters. Please do not use without my permission.

* * *

 **Shore Leave part 1**

" _Captains log, Star date…22 2265 Captain James T Kirk reporting._

 _The medical situation with the colony on Thanatos VII has been resolved due in large part to the efforts of CMO Leonard H. McCoy and his staff. Please see the attached Medical report for details. I am recommending commendations for Lieutenant Commander McCoy, Nurse Christine Chapel and Commander Spock for their efforts, which were in my opinion, above and beyond the call of duty._

 _To show his peoples appreciation for our assistance, Governor DeLance has extended an invitation for the crew to take a few days of shore leave. Being as how we are not expected at the Cerulian conference for two weeks, I feel it would be beneficial to ship morale for everyone on board to have a few hours planet side. My Medical and Science departments, in particular, have certainly earned the respite."_

Abigail winced and hastily reached to adjust the tone on her keyboard. Holy crap! She was working on her part of a planned Birthday celebration for her chief, Montgomery Scott, but trying to get her keyboard to synthesize the sound of bagpipes was being problematic! So far, the closest she had managed sounded suspiciously like the mating song of Tarsinian Cloud Whales. In other words, ear shattering! Making a couple of small adjustments, she flipped her sheet music back and tried again. This attempt sounded a little better… or maybe not. The girl jerked her fingers off the keys as the door to her shared quarters swooshed open and her roommate came slamming into the room, all wide red eyes, bared teeth and extended claws. Ash turned a full circle with her taunt body held low.

"Where is it Abigail Joneses? Gets behinds me…I KILLS it!"

She could only stammer as their very small room suddenly seemed way too full of agitated dragon.

"WHAT? Ash… holy shit!"

Abby hastily slid her chair back to avoid the long serpent like tail that whipped passed her face as the growling dragon turned another confused circle.

"I HEARS it… Where it be hidings? I finds it, I stomps it FLAT!"

The draconian slammed a hind foot down to emphasize her point. Sparks flew as her talons scraped the dura-crete floor. Abby felt her face flush a deep red…Damn it…her music wasn't THAT bad! Still, with the Dragon's sensitive hearing, the sounds her board was making could be mistaken for the wails of some misbegotten demon from the depths of hell! The girl made a quick grab as the wind of Ash's passing knocked her sheet music off its stand. Her movement had the dragon sliding to a stop, a long black tongue flicking out to tickle one of her flushed cheeks. Powerful hands closed on her shoulders, pulling her closer as fiery red eyes scrutinized her frozen form.

"Did you gets BITTEN? You is all reds and hots…" With a soft snort that blew the girl's fine hair around her face, the dragon released her hold and turned towards the room's intercom.

You needs Doctor Boneses…I calls Sickbay…!"

"NO!" Abby dropped her music and lunged, trying to tackle her eight-foot-tall roommate before she reached the button and called nine kinds of holy hell down on them. At five feet three though…all she managed to do was get her arms around the dragon's scaly neck then hang, feet off the ground, like some strange, living pendant. She could not suppress a rather hysterical sounding giggle as the dragon's fringe rippled against her skin releasing small static shocks that tickled like hell. Ash ground to a halt…and craned her head around, sensitive muzzle ghosting over the girl's face as her black tongue flicked out, touching here and there as if the dragon was tasting her.

"Ums… what you is doings, Abby Joneses?"

"Stopping you before you bring Dr. McCoy down on our asses! There is nothing in here… I was just working on some music for the Chief's birthday party."

The dragon's snort of disbelief blew her hair back.

"That NOTS music! Is… is…!" The draconian made a rather uncomplimentary gagging motion. At least she tried to look apologetic as she followed this up with a little shake to settle her fringe. This motion caused Abby's grip to fail and she slithered down the dragon to land unsteadily on her feet. Two long talon-ed hands gently grabbed her shoulders in support until the girl found her feet.

Abby groaned… "I KNOW! I can't get my board to cooperate. It is supposed to sound like this!"

A quick flip of a switch and the lively reel that was her Chief's favorite song poured out of her speakers. Ash's large head tilted as she listened intently to the bagpipe's wail. The skin and muscles around those large eyes softened as the dragon nodded in time with the rhythm. Abby was not surprised when, towards the end… Ash warbled a few notes. It took a couple of tries but by the time the last note faded out, she had matched the bagpipes keening timbre. Closing both inner and outer eyelids…. the Draconian stood silently for a moment…then she opened her mouth and perfectly replicated the opening stanza of the old Scottish tune. The song faltered when, upon opening her eyes, she saw the stunned look on her roommate's face. The notes abruptly stopped as Ash flinched, dropped her head and snapped her jaws shut. For a fleeting moment, the girl saw what could only be described as fear, pass through the dragon's shadowed gaze. Without thinking, Abby reached out to place a hand under that wedged shaped jaw. She lifted it up making the golden eyes meet her own.

"NO… don't stop…. that was PERFECT!"

Abby stifled a wince at the mix of sorrow, fear and uncertainty that flickered across her roommate's long face. Ash shifted from one foot to the other, her questioning gaze quietly searching for something in her friend's expression. A long black tongue flicked out, lightly touching cheek, lips and then the corners of her eyes. Abby did not know what the dragon was looking for, so she just held still and smiled, trying to project confidence and pleasure across the short distance that separated them. It must have been enough because Ash's fringe, which had sucked in tight to her head and neck slowly relaxed as she settled back on her hocks.

"No is perfect. Sounds betters like this."

What followed was a new and improved variation of Scotty's song. Not only did the Draconian have every note spot on… but she added a second bagpipe which played harmony to the first. Abby gave up trying to figure out how Ash did it when a distinct drumbeat joined in to augment the dancing rhythm with a lively beat.

Abby could not help herself. When the final note faded off she found herself clapping as she crowed…

"That was AWESOME!"

Ash rose, her pleasure at the praise showing in a rare gape mouthed draconic grin. For a second time, the girl threw her arms around her companion's neck.

"You are incredible! OHHH…I know… heck with my key board, YOU can just sing for Scotty's Birthday! He would LOVE…."

Her words were abruptly cut off as the Draconian backpedaled, the rapid movement dislodging Abby's grip and dumping her on her butt.

"NONONOI! Can't sing…. I no fly… I is quiet… no song for Aishy'la! Is forbidden!"

Abby froze as her brain tried to wrap itself around what her friend was saying. The Dragon's body language spoke her fear even louder than her words. If the big beast could have fit under the bed, Abby was sure she would have squeezed her way under there. The girl did not understand. Ash had told her that the Draconian Eldest language was nothing but music… a living song. Singing was something that had to be intrinsic to the species… how could Ash NOT sing. Why would something as important as song be forbidden to her? Abby just stared in shock… then she remembered her introduction to her scaly friend.

"But I don't understand. You sang for me."

Ash uncoiled a little from her tense stance. She reached down to help pull her roommate to her feet. For all of the strength in her powerful arms, the beast's touch was gentle as she awkwardly patted Abby's shoulder.

"You was so afraids. I knows fear… is not good. I sings so you would not be afraid anymores. You not hurt Ash for this. You not kill… I sings only for you."

Abby straightened out the sheet music that she had almost dropped. She was quiet as her mind mulled over what Ash was and… was not… telling her. The engineer had to push some guilt down as she selfishly tried to think of a way to convince her friend it would be okay for her to sing for the Chief. She just KNEW the man would be beside himself with pleasure if he could just hear the dragon's version of his favorite song. Maybe Ash could sing it and she could record… a quick glance up to meet her friends anxious golden gaze and Abby sighed and shelved that idea. It was not fair to Ash to stress her out like this. Abby smiled and patted one of the hands that still lingered on her shoulder.

"Its okay Ash. Maybe you could just help me figure out how to get this machine to spit out the proper tones. I am sure I can have it ready for Commander Scot in time for his birthday party tonight"

The girl hid a smile as the dragon winced at the thought of having to listen to the sounds the machine had been making, but Ash proved her meddle by nodding.

"Okays…I helps you."

Ash seemed to relax as Abby sat in front of her keyboard. The girl was pretty sure it was a stalling attempt when just as her fingers settled on the keys, the dragon asked….

What's a… birthdays… Abby Joneses?

The girl just blinked. It had not occurred to her that her roommate had no idea what a birthday was. It seemed a bit strange as every creature had to be born or hatched in some way.

"We humans, and some other species, celebrate the day of our birth. Don't Draconians do this? Surely you have a birthday Ash. Or maybe you celebrate when you are hatched?"

The dragon's soft lips twisted briefly, lifting to show a flash of teeth before she gave her wedge-shaped head a little shake.

"I has no… Birthday. Draconians no celebrate when hatched. Hatchlings are Aishy'la."

There was that word again. Abby made a note to herself to find out if anyone knew what it meant. In the back of her mind, the girl was already busy figuring out the logistics to springing a surprise "first" birthday party on her friend.

"So… is there a day you do celebrate?"

"OH Yes… Is good day when hatchling becomes fledgling and earns sky-song."

Abigail suddenly realized where this was going, and her stomach sank until it felt like it was puddled somewhere around her ankles.

At her stricken look, the Draconian gave an unhappy sounding hum while shifting from one hind foot to the other. A strange ripple passed through her scaled armor making a deep rattling buzz before sucking in tight to her frame. Golden eyes refused to meet her friend's, as she quietly explained.

"I no celebrates because I never flies. I is Aishy'la. I no has sky-song… is forbidden."

* * *

Kirk sighed and rolled his shoulders…trying to ease the stricture of his dress uniform around his neck. The oppressive humidity on this world made having to wear the damn thing even worse, but he had one more small meeting with the colony's governor, then he could strip down to lighter wear and enjoy a little time at the beach along with the others attending Scotty's birthday bash. A flash of blue had him turning with a frown as his second officer moved up along side him after materializing in the designated transport area. Sharp eyes noted the uniform and the science tricorder nestled almost out of sight against a slender hip.

"You are supposed to be taking some time off… Spock."

Dark brown eyes met his calmly as one of those elegant eyebrows slowly rose.

"I AM planet side, Captain…rather than in my lab."

Jim smothered a smirk as the Vulcan's dry tone made it very clear where he would RATHER be, IF he had been given a choice.

He gave up trying to hide his smile as Spock tugged the hem of his uniform shirt down… almost succeeding in hiding that tricorder. Jim let his gaze linger on it for a moment just so the Vulcan knew it had been noticed. He shook his head slightly as he looked up into the other's face. He had to stifle a pang of jealousy at the fact that even in full uniform, the Vulcan was dry. He could not suppress a sigh as he shifted his shoulders again…feeling the sweat dampened material stick to his body like a very uncomfortable second skin.

"Aren't you hot, Spock? I would think that something a bit…lighter…would be more comfortable in this kind of climate."

The other eyebrow slowly rose to join its twin.

"Captain… I can assure you that the ambient temperature now would have been considered a mild summer day on Vulcan. My physiology is well adapted to dealing with it."

Damn it if the Vulcan did not sound… smug.

Using the back of his hand, Kirk wiped the sweat from his brow as he out right grinned. He had ALWAYS wanted to say this…

'Yeah…but on Vulcan…it's a DRY heat!"

There was a flash in that dark gaze and Jim was rewarded with his friend's equivalent of a smile as he caught the joke. Granted it was just a softening of the muscles around the outworlder's eyes and mouth but with Vulcan's fate and their initial rocky start, Kirk was going to take what he could get!

A deep rawr… had both of their heads snapping around. This world had several large land predators and even with security measures they occasionally gave the colonists trouble. This was not the case this time as a flock of screaming, giggling children came thundering by. Close on their heels was the dark form of a terrifying beast. It opened its toothy jaws as several slow movers dodged, shrieking and laughing.

"RAWR!"

Both of Spock's eyebrows try to crawl off of his head as he looked at his Captain and repeated.

"Rawr…?"

The confusion on the man's face was enough that Kirk doubled over laughing just as the children turned and swarmed the chasing dragon. Ash slid to a halt and bellied down to the ground. In seconds all that could be seen was a writhing mass of children and the occasional flash of scale as the beast carefully thrashed around… shrieking her own type of laughter.

"HAHAHAHA….NO…NO… NO tickles…. hahahaha….ACH NOTS there…. Cants bbreathe… HAHAHAHAHA Captian's HELP!"

Kirk got his laughter under control and stepped hard on the desire to go join the kids in their fun. Only the fact that he was dressed for a meeting stopped him as with a final shriek Ash surged back to her feet, children hanging off all portions of her anatomy as she took off in a smooth run. Blue eyes wistfully followed the lucky ones mounted over those tightly closed wings as the dragon carried her entourage towards the beach.

Not for the first time, Kirk silently thanked his security Chief. When Ensign Ash had been assigned as perimeter guard for the medical team, the colonists had understandably been wary of the frightening predator. Their attitudes had changed drastically on the second day when the beast and her partner had taken out a large, vaguely bear like creature that was responsible for three previous deaths. Lieutenant Harken had been injured in the attack and Ash had carried him through the recovery ward to reach the medical team. When she turned to head back out, her path had been blocked by an eerily silent crowd. The children, in particular, had been hard hit by the virus that swept through the colony. Many had died, and of those that survived, many had been left orphans. The first sight of their haunted, wan faces had brought more than one of Kirk's demons roaring to the surface as he was overwhelmed with the irrational NEED to fix something that could not be fixed. Everyone in the ward froze in fear as the dragon dipped her head, black tongue flicking out to sample the air around the silent children. The fear on those same faces had turned to wonder as Ash's black hide had come to life in a shimmering rainbow of rippling color as she crooned softly at the little ones. Her blowing smoke rings over their enthralled heads had sealed the deal… and won more than a few hearts in those that watched. Now, much to everyone's amusement, the dragon could not take step without being followed by a pack of laughing children.

Kirk watched the long serpentine tail disappear under the trees and turned back to his first officer. He hastily wiped the look of longing off of his face as he caught the odd sidelong glance the other shot his way. Then he grinned.

"Ash has it made."

The Vulcan just stared at him.

"Unlike you, she doesn't have to get undressed to go swimming…. she can just jump right in!"

The slightly affronted look he got was the same one you get from a cat when you suggest it take a bath. Kirk was pretty sure he did not imagine the slight shudder that traveled over the Vulcan's tall frame.

"Captain… I have no intentions of getting…wet!"

* * *

The quiet figure in Science department blues looked entirely out of place as it walked with a measured pace along the shore. A soft breeze ruffling through his hair had Spock lifting his head from studying his tricorder in order to take advantage of its cooling affects. He had stated fact when he had told the Captain that this planet's higher temperatures did not cause him problems. Its high humidity on the other hand, he found to be highly uncomfortable. With lungs that were evolved to extract oxygen from a very dry climate, breathing the thick liquid filled, water world air was akin, he could imagine, to breathing Plomeek soup! He took care to keep his pace almost leisurely, keeping his heart and breathing rate as slow as possible. This gave his unique physiology a chance to deal with the extra fluid he was inhaling with each breath. Doctor McCoy had determined it was safe for him to be planet-side if he did not exert himself. It was a bit of medical advice that he agreed with for once.

Children's laughter coming up behind him had the Vulcan neatly side stepping away from the waves lapping the shore as a group ran by, shedding water and sand indiscriminately. Dark eyes tracked their progress as they scampered up a barely seen trail leading to the cliffs that over hung the little cove. Some of the children were taking turns diving off pre-built platforms interspaced along the rocky heights, while others played some sort of keep away game with a floating ball a little further out in deeper water. While he watched, one child hit the ball with a bit too much enthusiasm sending it even further out. After much teasing and laughing… the boy swam out with the evident intention of getting it back.

Movement higher up drew his eye to the dark form of Ash where she was laying at the very top. Spock did not doubt that the dragon was combining sunbathing along with keeping watch on the splashing chaos below.

The science officer was just looking down to re-activate his tricorder when the Ensign's black form rose to her full height. The sudden tensing in her large frame and the way her head twisted to zero in on the water just out past the cove's entrance had the Vulcan scanning the waves looking for whatever the dragon's sharp eyes saw. His own vision picked out the three large triangular fins slicing through the water at the same time as Ash bugled a warning. Every person in the water made for the beach as that high clear note carried to shore. Everyone except the lone boy who was still trying to reach his ball. With the waves, and the breeze blowing in the wrong direction he had not heard that clarion call. A quick glance proved that the adults were gathered further down along the shore. From their angle, the crew could not see the child or the danger stalking him. Spock spared another second to look up, briefly wondering why the Draconian did not take to the air? When the first officer looked back, the fins were gone…and so was the child. Without thought, he dropped his tricorder, kicked off his boots and hit the water in a clean dive. Just because he did not LIKE to swim…. Did not mean he was unable to.

Spock focused on where the creature had gone under and swam as if his life depended on it. He did not have enough facts to calculate how long the child could hold his breath or even if he had been conscious to do so when towed under. His logic told him that he was not going to make it in time… the distance was just too great. The half Vulcan did something that only his long association with Captain James T Kirk made possible. He slotted that bit of logic over to a file mentally marked… irrelevant… and increased his strokes. A shriek of what could only be pain jerked his focus up as a black winged shadow passed over. His stroke faltered as his eyes took in the twisted bones and torn, flapping sail on one of those outspread wings just before Ash tucked them tight and slammed into the surface of the water a few yards ahead of him. The waves she created tossed the SIC around as his mind automatically slipped this piece of the puzzle that was… Ash… into place. It answered some of the many anomalies he had noted about the Draconian. Sliding the information into a mental file marked…things I must discuss with one Leonard H. McCoy, as he seriously doubted that the Captain was aware of this particular fact… he re-focused his attention back to saving the child. At this moment, he could only trust that the dragon knew what she was doing.

A slight bow wave gave him a little warning as a sleek shape rose from the depths. There was a light brush against his mental shields, then Ash's strong body was underneath him. Spock had the presence of mind to grab onto the thick joints where her tightly closed wings met her back as the draconian lifted under him then surged through the water like she had been born to it. She covered the distance to where the monster had dragged the child under in seconds. A flash of fire seemed to tear through his mind… then a voice echoed through the pain.

 _"Diving in three…two…one…"_

Forewarned, Spock sucked in a breath just before his ride sounded. He desperately searched through the blood hazed water as Ash powered deep. There was a flash in the depths, and pressure built as the draconian arrowed towards it. His quick mind was calculating speed, angles and physical parameters as they shot passed the creature and the child who had stopped struggling weakly to free himself. In the next second, Ash turned, and they were rocketing up. They rose at speed, slamming into the sea monster from underneath. The dragon's powerful jaws closed on the thing's throat as they shot towards the surface. Spock was ready as the monster was forced to open its toothy maw. It released its victim and the Vulcan let go of his ride to make a calculated grab as Ash shot by the now limp body. Covering the child's mouth and nose with one hand, he tucked the boy tight to his chest, and kicked towards the life-giving air. They rose just yards away from where the two beasts, locked in mortal combat, churned the water to a black tainted foam. Hoping that the Draconian had not bitten off more than she could chew, Spock rolled on his back and put some distance between them. One look at the child clasped to his breast had him kicking for the shore. He could not tell if the boy was still breathing but his life leaking out in crimson from an almost severed arm spoke volumes in the language of life or death. Locking one powerful hand tightly around the mangled flesh and bone stopped the blood flow but it also slowed his progress. He was faced with an impossible decision. He could hold on. This would prevent the bleeding, but it also slowed his progress through the water eating up time the boy did not have if he needed CPR. OR He could let the improvised tourniquet go in the hopes he could make the shore before the child bled out. He vented a guttural curse as logic dictated that the odds on either option were abysmal. The form of the dragon rising under his body made the choice for him. Again, words rode a wave of fire directly into his mind.

 _"Hold ON!"_

Mentally reeling from the effects of having his considerable shields shattered…TWICE… the Science officer still managed to roll, pinning the boy between his body and Ash's strong back as she surged for the beach. In this position, he could feel that the child was not breathing and see that his lips were turning blue. Spock knew that Ash was giving it her all, but this did not stop him from painfully telling her through the link she had created, that they were running out of time. He felt more than heard the rumble of her answering growl in response as, somehow, she managed to eke out a little more speed. This did not slacken as they literally hit the shore, riding the dragon's own bow wave up the beach to slide to a stop in a shower of water and sand.

Careful hands accompanied by a strong Scottish brogue were there to help Spock slide off of his mounts back.

"I got ya both lad… just donna let go of tha arm."

Spock did not have the breath to spare to speak so he just nodded as

Montgomery Scott helped him ease the boy onto the damp sand.

"I commed Med bay and the Capt'n… they should be here…"

The Engineer was interrupted by the familiar whine of a transporter.

McCoy and his team hardly waited for their forms to completely solidify before they moved to surround the boy. The Captain, still in his dress uniform followed closely behind, blue eyes flashing as he took in the very wet form of his first officer and the dripping Draconian hovering behind him.

Nurse Chapel appeared to slip a medical tourniquet just behind Spock's hand and pulled it tight while McCoy worked to clear the child's airways. The woman's words were a soft murmur as her warm hand brushed against his.

"You can let go now Spock…."

The Vulcan could not control his flinch as the brief skin to skin contact allowed her tightly controlled worry, sadness and determination, to pour through his damaged shields. The effort to close them off sent a shaft of pain straight through his head. His bloody hand left the boy's arm to press against his temple as he tried to suppress the headache that rocketed to migraine strength behind his eyes.

It throbbed in time to the hammering of his heart almost drowning out the voices around him. Spock could hear when the Doctor's equipment registered a weak but steady heartbeat followed by McCoy's softly growled…

"We got ya boy…"

He could also hear Scotty as he quietly explained the series of events to the Captain.

He winced again as Kirk interrupted his engineer's report with a soft growl.

"WAIT… what?"

His next words had the Science officer scrambling to his feet as the Captain turned toward Ensign Ash…confusion and anger chasing themselves across the man's expressive face.

Several inventive curses ran through the Vulcan's aching mind as he witnessed Kirk get right into the dragon's startled, rather toothy face.

"Why would you swim, when you could fly…Ensign! You HAVE wings…don't you? Jesus…he is going to LOSE that arm! Why didn't you just FLY down and snatch him out of the water BEFORE that thing got to him!"

Ash was backpedaling, trying to put some space between them. Spock was not an expert at reading emotion but saw the sorrow in those suddenly red eyes and he felt the pure terror that echoed down the tenuous link that still existed between them before it suddenly shattered and was gone.

It was tantamount to how badly Spock was shaken that another blue clad form reached the Captain before he did, grabbing the man's arm and yanking him back.

"Holy shit…JIM…"

A figure in red joined McCoy. The Scot disregarded the fury directed at him as he came shoulder to shoulder with the CMO forming a shield between Kirk and his target.

"Capn…STOP… it wasna the lasses fault… she canna…."

The man was cut off as Ash suddenly rose behind him… lifting to her full height on powerful hind legs. The dragon threw her head back with a keening shriek and with a lithe twist that only something with serpent in their DNA could pull off, she launched herself out over the water. Both wings snapped open in an instinctive but futile attempt at that first powerful downstroke needed to get airborne. Another shriek had everyone slamming their hands over their ears, this one of pain as one wing twisted, buckling under the strain of lift off, before Ash's black form slammed into the water and disappeared under the waves!

* * *

I PROMISE that part to will be posted in a short time. Now that I seem to be getting a handle on this clusterfuck I call a life, I should have more time and desire to write! As always, your feedback is greatly appreciated. Please leave a review and make my day!


	11. Chapter 11

This part of the story was supposed to be only two chapters… but I realized after re-reading the first part that I really needed to include what was going on in Ash's mind… along with some of what was going on with the Captain. Some may feel that Kirk was a little out of character in the last chapter. But having been around a Veteran who has "Lost" it due to PTSD… I can tell you sometimes it's the little things that serve as a trigger. Some may think that the scene on the bridge in the 2009 movie is the other time Kirk lost complete control in this fashion, but he knew exactly what he was doing then. I am referencing his absolute loss of control when Khan turned himself in on Kronos. This was proof that Kirk's iron control can slip under the right circumstances. Also… there was more than once in the original series where Jim said some very hurtful things to people that he considered his closest friends while angry or frustrated…so I think his loss of control in the last chapter was very much in character. This is a shorter chapter, but I felt it was needed. There will be a part three to this bit of the story. As always, this is a fan fiction…I own none of the Star Trek verse or its characters. I do own my original characters. If you want to play with them…just ask.

* * *

Shore Leave part 2

Ash watched as the medical team swarmed over the still form of the nestling. When they had come to this world, the Draconian had been stunned to see the care and compassion that the adults lavished on the little ones. Her species viewed anything that did not make it to fledgling status as… expendable. To see unrelated Elders fighting to save the lives of hatchlings and nestlings, who were not even blood kin, had twisted her hearts with loneliness and longing in a way that was physically painful. It was very evident that all the Elders here, and from the ship, considered every one of the tiny forms something very special. Her curiosity had stopped her the day that she took her partner into the emergency bay. The fear, loneliness and longing that clung to the group of nestlings that surrounded her had pulled on old wounds that had never healed. Their enraptured reaction to her soothing display of color and sound along with their enthusiastic acceptance of one so different from them had been a surprise. Ash's life as a nestling had been a hard-won fight for survival…she had not had the time or energy to play. She had no "friend" or sibling to spend time with. To do so now, was a salve that soothed her long held pain in a way she had never experienced before.

For this reason, when she had first realized that the little drake had not heard her warning, Ash had frozen…torn between the need to help him and the fear of punishment if she did. Her Draconian Elders would have let the child die.

Seeing her Second in Command struggling to reach the child in time had freed her to act. Without thinking… Ash had launched herself off the cliff knowing that her armored body could easily handle the impact with the water from this height. She had stretched both her wings as wide as possible in an attempt to gain some ground by awkwardly gliding. This bought her some distance until several sections of scar weakened sail tore open, spilling air in such a way it destroyed what little lift she had. Ash barely managed to tuck the fragile flight limbs tight before slamming into the water just yards ahead of the Vulcan.

When she rose beneath Spock, Ash shattered every Draconian rule of protocol concerning mind to mind communication, by breaking his shields and forcing a mental link without permission. They had no time and could not afford for the Vulcan to miss his hold as she surged forward under him. Ash felt as unintended pain from the breach backlashed through the link, but ignored her fear of reprisal, as for a second time she slammed against the half breed's considerable shields and forced a link into his mind. This was a killing offense in her society, but she had to ensure the male had enough oxygen on board when she sounded! Ash was pretty sure that drowning a crew member, especially a high ranking Elder, was a killing offense in HIS society!

Spock's terse message, that they were running out of time…eased her fear somewhat. The muted emotions that leaked painfully through the link were not tinged with anger… just a small amount of surprise over ridden by the concern that they were not going to get the little drake to help in time. Ash managed to squeeze a little more speed out of tiring muscles and slid onto the beach, riding her own bow wave in a shower of water and sand! She felt more than saw a figure in red move alongside her to help her passengers down. The rough, almost musical brogue identified him as Mister Scott.

The dragon cautiously rose when no immediate punishment was forth coming. She was prepared to deal with the consequences of her actions later; right now, she was trying to deal with the same heart twisting pain as when she had met the nestlings. Only now it seemed to hurt tenfold as Ash watched her CMO and his team kneel in the bloodied sand and wrestle with death for the life of a child they did not know.

A small relief blossomed in her breast when the sound of a small heart finally kicking in on its own, was augmented by Dr. McCoy's softly growled,

"We got ya boy!"

This relief was short lived as the "Eldest" of the ship, her Captain, spun around and stalked towards her. Unmitigated fury was etched in every line of his compact frame. It made his vivid blue eyes glow in a way that rivaled the hottest flame. Terror washed through her as every instinct screamed that this being stalking towards her was more DRAGON then not! Ash found herself backpedaling in fear and confusion as the man's emotional pain and anger beat through the shields she had dropped to communicate with Spock. Old pain, sorrow and a razor-sharp HATE battered at her, hurting worse than the blunt finger he stabbed against her chest plates as he growled his rage and laid the blame for this right where it belonged….at her feet.

As Kirk's angry words registered, Ash's shocked gaze snapped back to what was left of the boy's bloody ragged arm. This was HER fault! She was useless. Because of her flaws, the little Drake would be crippled. He would be Aish'ayla, just as she was...USELESS. She was nothing and should have died in the nest! Ash rose, lifting to her full height as she keened her heart ache. This was her fault…. her fault…her…

Unable to stand against the onslaught of rage, sorrow and hate pouring through her shields, combined with her own self-loathing, her fore brain gave into the instinctual urge from her hind brain to turn and flee. Intellect abandoned, her body fell back on Draconian instinct and she turned to launch herself into the air. The first down stroke of her wings snapped the dragon back to reality as already bleeding sail tore again, causing bones to twist and shift as one wing buckled with the strain. Shrieking her fear, sorrow, and pain Ash rolled, slamming hard into the water. She did not even try to surface, it was easier to let the waves take her down into the depths.

* * *

When Kirk had first received the priority message from Sulu that he was needed, he had hastily excused himself from his meeting. The fact that Sulu coordinated a risky dual beam in alongside the Medical team was testament to the fact that the Emergency was considered life or death. Still the man was not prepared for what he was beamed into. Spock's lean figure, kneeling in the crimson stained sand with blood and water dripping from him, was enough to spike his adrenaline levels. Jim had attended just enough therapy after leaving Tarsus to convince his medics he was not a suicide risk. Dr. McCoy would be the first to tell him (And he had… more than once.) that although Kirk had the PSTD inherited from that horror show under control…most of the time, it was not gone. Dealing with the ill and dying children of this colony had brought old memories and the emotional baggage that came with them roaring out of the deep shadows in his mind where he kept them locked up. Jim had just managed to get them wrestled back into the dark when his teams finally got a handle on the virus and started saving more lives than they lost. Now, the sight of the medical team working over a deathly still child and what was left of his arm, tore the old wounds he had just managed to re-bury wide open. Somehow, he got a finger hold on the inner demons this loosed… but the confusion caused by Scotty's quiet words along with seeing his half-drowned First Officer wincing and lifting a bloody hand to press against his temple in obvious pain, blew what little control he had to hell!

WHY hadn't his dragon just FLOWN down and scooped the boy up before that sea monster reached him?"

Kirk knew that many of the Draconian Elders considered human kind nothing more than filthy upstart primates. The Captain had not been exaggerating when he told Bones that the Federation had broken more than one rule allowing Ash to join Star Fleet because they wanted something out of the deal. Although the Dragons were a space faring species, they did not have Warp technology. And oddly… did not seem interested in acquiring it. They had little use for those they considered inferior and they made it very clear that Earthlings fell within this category. Humankind was not allowed to set foot on the soil of Draconia. Nor were they allowed to stand before the Draconian's ruling Conclave and High Queen. All contact was carried out through one of their ambassadors on neutral ground. The one that Kirk had been introduced to as a requirement before requesting Ash as one of his crew had made it abundantly clear that it would let a human drown before taking wing to save him.

Jim had thought their Ash was better than that. His disappointment and feeling of betrayal intertwined with over powering rage, triggering the part of himself that he had only let loose once since that fated day he first boarded the Enterprise. Without thinking… he turned the maelstrom of anger and hate that he ALWAYS kept within his iron control loose on the Draconian. The strength of the emotional storm once it was loose was such that it did not register that the creature his ire was focused on could kill him with one snap of her powerful jaws. The flash of sunlight on scale and claw as she shifted back in the face of his fury did not slow his advance. Likewise, Kirk did not notice when his Second in Command forced himself to his feet with less than his usual grace to stagger towards them, only to have McCoy and Montgomery Scot beat him there. It took both men to push their CO back away from the backpedaling dragon. Having two of his officers, men he considered as brothers, stand shoulder to shoulder between him and his target only increased his frustration and sense of betrayal. Their words did not penetrate the storm he was wrapped in. What finally DID break through, was the horrified shock and sorrow he saw reflected in eyes of gold and crimson as they turned towards the broken, and bloodied form of the child. The dragon straightened to her full height, then twisted in an impossible serpentine fashion to launch herself out over the water. What finally shattered the storm was not the rising keen that tore at his ears and echoed in his heart… no, it was the sight of something that should have been… but wasn't. One was form and function, strength and elegance blended into the epitome of grace and beauty. The other was utter ruin… twisted bone bound together by ragged and bloodied sail.

 _"Can you fly….? "_

It was the first thing he had ever said to the Draconian. Kirk's stomach twisted as he watched the crippled limb buckle under the strain of trying to lift off.

 _"Can you fly…?"_

Those three words echoed through his mind as Ash's dark form dropped to slam into the bright water and disappear under the dancing waves. It was too much. The man doubled over to lose what had been a very good lunch into the sand. He vaguely heard McCoy's startled curse as the physician just managed to shift his feet out of the line of fire. A strong hand settled on the back of his neck, squeezing slightly as another round of retching finished purging his stomach. The unusual coolness of it against his flushed skin gave him a clue to the other's identity. Kirk could only send a silent apology for the emotional overload he was probably subjecting the touch telepath to. He was surprised when a small tendril of what could only be sorrow and compassion curled through that touch, trying to ease the ragged pain in his heart as the Captain straightened, his shadowed gaze searching the little cove for any sign of Ash. Another hand settled under his elbow trying to guide him towards where the medical team and their charge were already disappearing in the shimmering light of the transporter. He resisted… only to have Scotty's strong grip join the others…

"You go along with the Doc, Captn. I'll stay and watch for Ash. There really is na much we can do til the lass decides to come up for air."

There was nothing accusatory in the Scot's rich brogue, only a gentle sorrow. This just made Kirk feel worse. He looked again…hoping to see a dark serpentine form moving though the clear water of the cove as he felt the tingle of the transporter taking hold. There was nothing there. Jim was not sure if the shimmer that obscured his vision was from the light refracting off the mirror like surface of the water, the effect of the transporter or from the unshed tears that burned his heart and filled his eyes. He hoped that Ash would give him the chance to apologize. He would hate for his last words to her to be as painful as his first must have been.

" _ **Can you fly**_ _….?"_

* * *

As always you feedback in the form of reviews is highly appreciated! It helps keep me motivated.


	12. Chapter 12

I would like to use the excuse that real life interfered with getting this chapter written...but I must admit. It just kicked my ass! I knew what I wanted to do and say but actually getting down in writing was like pulling dragon's teeth...out of a live dragon! Some of the things that happen in this chapter will be essential for later ones. And some things mentioned are also important. I hope that I have done this justice. As always...I do not own any of the Star Trek verse. I do own Ash.

* * *

Shore Leave Part 3

The hard slap of water along with the sting of its many dissolved minerals burning the torn places on her crippled wing's sail jerked Ash out of the panicked instinctual control of her hind brain. The momentum of her sudden plunge carried the dragon almost to the shallow sandy bottom before her natural instincts compensated, converting some of her compressed gas reserves and flooding it back into her respiratory system, in order to push her back towards the surface. Even though her intellect had resumed control… there was no way Ash wanted to surface and face the emotional storm she had just escaped…nor the consequences for turning her back on an Elder and running in fear rather than accepting the punishment for her actions. Ash vented the gas from several of her air chambers and pulled in water to replace it. This not only made her lose some of her natural buoyance but also gave her much needed ballast as she dove towards the drop off just outside the cove. It was two hundred plus feet deep when she finally settled on the bottom. Once there, she coiled her body into the sand in a tight miserable ball of despondent dragon.

The pressure from the water above was strangely comforting as it and the shadowy twilight reminded her of the only time in her life that she had ever felt safe…curled tight within the confines of her egg. That feeling of safety had ended moments after she hatched when she had been attacked and then cast off as useless trash along with the egg shells and the lifeless forms of most of her siblings. Her life as a nestling became a quiet fight for survival. Rarely had she walked under the dual suns of the Draconian sky but rather she had scraped out a meager existence scavenging scraps and hunting vermin through the shadows that existed under the bright world of her betters.

Ash closed both inner and outer eyelids and for a long while just lay motionless except for the occasional twitch of the tail tip draped over her nose. She had the reserves to stay submerged for several days. Maybe if she stayed here long enough, the Captain would give up on bringing her in for punishment. Maybe the Enterprise would just go…leaving her behind. She would be quite content to stay on this world and play with the younglings. This hopeful thought died quickly… she had failed to protect the little drake, there was little chance that the Elders of this world would let her stay. A small part of Ash's forebrain wondered how long it would take for her body to reach the end of its oxygen supply. Traveler Queens had the reserves to last for years without needing to dip into atmosphere to recharge, even when supporting a Navigator. She was much smaller, not to mention younger than these Ancient ones. If she converted and released all her stored fuel it probably would not take more than a few hours for her to drown. This would be an easier death than being torn apart or incinerated alive for her failures.

* * *

The shimmer of the transporter had hardly faded when McCoy turned, and completely disregarding the Vulcans "don't touch" taboos, grabbed Spock by the arm as he tried to step off the pad. The other hand pointed at the dripping Vulcan and then at the door.

"Oh no you don't… Sick Bay… NOW!"

Jim stepped forward with the intention of running interference for his first officer only to pull up short when the Doctor spun and pinned him with "THAT" look! His CMO's Patented glare of DEATH snapped Kirk's mouth shut before he could complain or demand that Spock be given the time to report what exactly had happened down there. McCoy knew him well. The hand moved off Spock's arm and a strong finger stabbed the Captain in the chest…hard.

"You can get your report AFTER I finish my exam… Captain. Vulcan physiology is not designed for that planet's type of humidity under physical duress. And it sure as hell isn't designed for swimming. I need to know how much moisture Spock sucked into those desert bred lungs of his with this stunt. He could have set himself up for a nasty case of Aspirative Pnuemonitus.

"But Ash…."

A soft cough that had McCoy's head snapping around, interrupted the Captain.

Leonard passed his tricorder over Spock's chest and frowned as he made a couple of adjustments to the little machine. He gave the Vulcan a little push towards the door.

"Damn…I hate being right all of the time. Sick Bay Spock…move it."

Spock wiped his lips with a wet shirt sleeve and cleared his throat.

"Captain… logic dictates that we deal with what's in front of us first. We can't help Ensign Ash until she chooses to surface."

Kirk's guilt was not quite ready to give up.

"That might be a while… and she might be hurt."

McCoy was lightly pushing his patient forward as they walked, but he looked back over his shoulder….

"I hate to agree with Spock, but he is right. Ash is out of reach until she decides otherwise. I am more worried about her mental state than her physical one right now, she can swim a hell of a lot better than she can fl…"

The Doctor visibly winced and scrubbed a hand over his face before turning away. Kirk doubted he was meant to hear the next muttered words.

"Hell, I think swimming is one of the things she does as therapy to keep the flight muscles on the damaged side from atrophying."

Spock jerked to a stop, back stiffening under the CMO's guiding hand.

Kirk froze… then softly growled.

"What… the… hell! You KNEW she couldn't fly!"

The fact that McCoy flinched and did not turn around to look him in the eye as he spoke was all the answer Kirk needed.

"I don't have time for this right now!"

Jim did not know what was worse…the pure burn of hot rage…or the pain of sick betrayal. The driving sense of guilt the Captain had felt since that first sight of bloodied ragged wing had him snapping at his best friend.

"That's such BULL... McCoy! Dr. Mbenga is on call in Medbay. He is perfectly capable of handling the boy. YOU aren't even on the duty roster. Make time!"

It was all he could do not to grab his friend and shake the crap out of him.

"Jesus, BONES…don't you think this was something that your CAPTAIN needed to know?"

The Doctor sucked in a sharp breath and spun around. If Jim had not been dealing with his own emotional tidal wave, he might have noted that his friend's hazel eyes were dark with repressed anger, guilt and pain.

"Dammit Jim…even as CMO I am still bound by my medical oath. Ash made it very clear that she could be damaged by me sharing that information. Patient Confidentiality ranks right up there with Do No Harm."

Kirk's anger went from hot to frigid in a heart-beat… this was not the first time his CMO had played this particular card! It was a bone of contention that had cropped up between the two men more than once.

"That's a cop out Bones, and you know it! In matters concerning ship security…"

McCoy cut him off with his own soft growl.

"That's the point…Captain. While on this ship, Ash's ability to fly or not too… is redundant. The only time I could have compromised my ethics and broken her confidence is if you or another commanding officer had assigned her to a mission that relied upon her ability to get airborne."

Kirk ground his teeth in angry frustration, the Doc had him there. Even so, he wasn't quite ready to let it go. His angry gaze settled on the third person in their little group who had remained suspiciously quiet.

"Did you know about this…Mister Spock?"

The Vulcan slowly turned around, clearly reluctant to be drawn into the emotional disagreement…again. His dark eyes lingered for a moment on the Doctor, and for a moment what could have been sympathy flickered through them before shifting to calmly meet his Superior's cold blue gaze.

"I did not, Captain. Although this does clarify some of the irregularities I have noted in Ensign Ash's behavior. It may help to point out that it is illogical to operate under the assumption that Ash is not well versed in security protocol and her responsibilities. I firmly believe that if the need arose… she would have told her commanding officer rather than let her disability impact a mission. Doctor McCoy, Am I correct in that you felt revealing Ash's condition would have been detrimental to her in some way?

"Well…YES." Leonard looked more than a little freaked out that Spock was taking his side.

"Ash was terrified when asked if the Captain knew about that wing. She had a complete meltdown. I promised what I had to in order to get her to calm down." McCoy pinned his friend with a hard glare.

"Need I remind you what happened the LAST time our resident dragon freaked out? We damn near all got fricasseed!"

Kirk lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose…trying to stall the head ache he could feel coming on. Taking the anger, sorrow and guilt and shoving it down did not help at all, but he knew when to cut his losses.

"FINE Bones… Is there anything else about Ash that I might need to know that you are hiding behind your…ethics?"

The CMO's expressive mouth pulled into a tight line. But he swallowed what- ever it was he wanted to say and spit out…

"Not a damned thing…SIR!"

He turned around with the clear intentions of herding their Science officer towards the Sick Bay door.

Spock lifted a hand, stalling the CMO for a moment.

"Captain… Ensign Ash is a telepath."

McCoy's startled exclamation of, "WHAT…" was drowned out by Kirk's triumphant…

"YES! I KNEW she was mag…ehem…are you sure, Spock?"

The man just barely managed to suppress the fist pump that should have accompanied this when his first officer gave him what amounted to a Vulcan eyeroll.

"Telepathic…Captain, there is no such thing as magic. And yes, I am sure. Because I am regularly in close proximity to individuals who have no mental protections, I have learned to maintain very strong shields. My mental abilities are considered formidable, even amongst the Temple adepts. Most Vulcans would not have the strength to enter my mind unless they were invited. The Draconian broke through my defenses with little difficulty…. Twice."

"SHIT…" This was a low growl as McCoy brought his medical tricorder up to scan the First Officers head.

Spock ducked away from it.

"Other than a slight head ache, Doctor, I am fine. The damage has been… contained."

McCoy snorted and made a shooing motion with the hand not holding the tricorder.

"Why don't you let the guy who actually EARNED the M.D. after his name determine whether you are…fine. The fact that you are admitting to a headache earns you a neural work up along with everything else. Now, stop arguing and move along ya hobgoblin. The faster we get this done, the faster we can help find Ash."

Jim watched as the CMO basically bullied Spock through the Sick Bays doors. Then he tapped his communicator.

"Bridge, this is Kirk… can the ship's sensors pinpoint Ensign Ash? Her last location was in the cove to the west of the colony compound."

Maybe they could just beam the dragon's scaly butt out of whatever hidey-hole she had found.

"Sulu here, Captain. Mister Scot's a step ahead of you…we already tried but the ship's scanners have the same problem with Draconian physiology as Doctor McCoy's medical equipment. We have tried homing in on her communicator but the heavy concentration of minerals in the water is interfering with the signal. Until she surfaces, we won't be able get a solid transporter lock on her.

Kirk bit his tongue to keep from swearing as the hope of an easy solution died a swift death. Sulu hesitated, then continued.

"Sir, Scotty mentioned that you might want to send Ensign Abigail Jones down… she is currently on duty in Engineering."

"Hmmm, that's not a bad idea." Sending a large group of people down to look for the Dragon might just spook her further. A smaller, more select group would have a better chance of coaxing Ash back onto dry land where they could beam her up. Sulu must've been thinking along the same lines.

"Sir, I've played hide and seek in the dark with Ash before…" the communication system picked up on the soft sound of someone snickering (Chekov?} In the background. This sound was hastily cut off with Sulu's next words.

"Chekov and I are willing to beam down and help where we can, I would like to think that Ash considers us friends."

* * *

And that was how Sulu found himself slipping through the undergrowth, in the dark, alongside Ensign Jones as they worked their way up the path that led to the top of the diving cliffs. Scotty, Chekov, and Uhura were patrolling the shoreline along with a couple of handpicked security personnel. Abigail though, was sure that when Ash chose to surface, she would do so by climbing up the backside of the cliffs where no one could see her. Twin moons reflected enough light for the pair to see where they were going. But it also created twisted shadows that seemed to shift and move as if the darkness was a living creature just waiting to swallow them whole. Because this planet had already proven to have predators that did not think twice about attacking humans, the search party had been issued phasers. It did not help that during the briefing, Chekov had quietly pointed out that the crewmember they were looking for was one damned big predator. Spock, freshly released from med bay, was quick to point out that although the Draconian might be emotionally unstable, what he had felt through the link she had created was predominantly fear and sorrow, not rage. Still, the helmsman couldn't help but remember the last time he had come up against Ash in the dark. Phasers had just pissed the dragon off, and his saber might as well have been a chew toy. The fact that his favorite dura-steel blade had been warped and twisted beyond straightening attested to the strength of a Draconian's jaws. A soft rustle in the undergrowth had his second favorite saber practically leaping into his left hand as Abby stepped a little closer to him, both their phasers shifting to follow barely perceived shapes moving within the twisting shadow.

* * *

A sharp tug on her twitching tail tip jerked Ash's attention away from her depressing thoughts. Still, it was not enough to stir her out of her funk. There were few predators this close to shore who would dare attack something her size. The corpse of the last one to tangle with her was still floating somewhere in the general area. A second tug was strong enough it had one of her eyes slitting open in annoyance. Both eyes slowly opened to watch as a group of rainbow-colored creatures circled her tail tip. Each had a lithe serpentine form covered in shimmering silver scales that refracted the dim moonlight from the surface into a kaleidoscope of colors. Four frilly limbs helped an eel like tail propel them through the water as they circled in front of her nose…their gimlet eyes sparkling with curiosity. The Dragon unscrewed her nostrils enough snort out a breath, intending to scare the creatures off. The resulting blast of released air scattered the little group, but the smallest one circled and rose to dance in and around the rising bubbles. Without hesitation, one of the larger followed the little one up, whirling around it and herding it back towards the group. The other larger one positioned itself between her nose and the rest of its companions, its lithe body twisting and rolling in a pattern that was hypnotizing to the eyes. Ash blinked and huffed a little more air out in amusement. She had used that tactic herself, most recently when trying to protect…. Ahhhh …this was a family! She lifted her head only to have the creature bounce hard against her nose, before shooting off, trying to draw her away from where the others were retreating. She did not follow it. Instead, the dragon slowly uncoiled herself, pushed the water out of her air chambers and converted some of her reserves to gas so she could rise silently out of the depths. She had never had a family, but she did have others who were depending on her. If she failed in her assigned duty, untold numbers might end up paying the consequences. And no matter her fear, Ash LIKED humans. She had to return to the ship, even if it meant facing punishment.

The Draconian silently pulled herself up over the edge of the bluff, gave herself a little shake and spread her wings to give the cool night breeze a chance to caress the sensitive sail. She wanted to take a few minutes to dry out before contacting the Enterprise. If she folded her wings while still wet, the damaged areas on the one were prone to itchy fungus and worse, membrane mold. A quiet rustling at the edge of the forest on the sloped side of the bluff had her sensory fringe lifting to sample the currents riding on the night air. She relaxed as she recognized the scent of Abby and Sulu, only to tense up and narrow her eyes as their dark forms slowly backed out of the trees. They were doing that mammal herding thing again…standing too close to each other and creating one big target. Sulu should KNOW better! Dropping silently to all fours, the dragon folded her wings, then ghosted up behind the pair. As she rose behind them, several smaller predators that had been stalking amongst the shadows hastily decided to vacate the area. Smiling a tight-lipped draconic smile, Ash eased her muzzle within inches of two cold-sweat covered necks. Then, she flicked her tongue out, swiping it across both tasty surfaces with an exaggerated…slurp! Their shrieking reaction was well worth the phaser scores and the three hard whacks over the nose that she received from Sulu's silly sword before she snatched it away from him to crunch between her teeth!

* * *

"Captain…?"

Kirk had been sitting, replaying the awful scene from the beach over and over in his head. Each time he did only reaffirmed that in this instance there was no excuse for his behavior.

"Captain…?"

Yes… he had been operating under no small amount of stress, with little rest. Yes… the situation was one that aggravated unresolved issues in his past. All of that did not matter. It was unforgivable that he had lashed out and buried poor Ash in that pile of stinking shit just because he could not deal with…..

"JIM"

Spock's use of his given name along with a blue sleeved hand on his shoulder, jerked Kirk out of the vicious cycle his thoughts were spinning in. Blinking (those were NOT tears blurring his vision…) the man looked up to find himself trapped in the dark, KNOWING eyes of his second in command. For a moment, the Vulcan held his gaze, giving him a chance to catch his mental equilibrium. Then he nodded slightly and stepped back.

"Captain, we have a transporter lock on Ensign Ash's communicator. She has surfaced just outside of the cove boundaries and is making her way towards the cliffs. We are waiting to transport on your command."

He almost gave that command. Then he remembered McCoy's comment on just how much damage an angry dragon could do aboard the ship made him pause. Ash had every reason to be furious with him for the unwarranted dressing down she had received in front of members of his command staff. There was only one way for him to make this right.

"No Spock… I want you to come with me." Ignoring that slowly rising Vulcan brow…Kirk stood and tugged his shirt straight. He was already striding towards the turbo lift doors as he shot a look over to the communications station. "Lieutenant Merlene, please contact Dr. McCoy and have him meet us in Transporter room three. I also need Mister Scott and Uhura transported to the top of that bluff. Contact Chekov and have him brought on board to take the Comm."

They beamed into shrieks and the flash of phaser fire, augmented by the ring of dura-steel impacting metal to metal. Kirk was hastily trying to push McCoy behind him, whilst Spock tried to do the same thing to both of them when Sulu's scream of anguish froze them all motionless.

"Ash…NOOOO….." The Captain was already moving forward as his eyes finally recovered from the flash revealing the terrifying sight of Ash towering over the fallen form of Ensign Jones. Sulu stood between the woman and the dragon, hands lifted as if trying to reach for his saber which was clenched within her powerful jaws. Kirk was stopped by a strong grip on his shoulder and the unexpected sound of his CMO snickering.

The rumble of Ash's deep growl was intermixed with the sound of distressed metal as Ash snapped her jaws together twice…then swallowed. Sulu proceeded to come unglued…

"What the FUCK? You…ASSHOLE… you did NOT…did you just EAT my sword? What the… damnit ASH…what the HELL?!"

This tirade was accompanied by an angry little temper dance, which the dragon watched with interest, her head bobbing slightly to the beat of Sulu's feet hitting the ground. McCoy moved from behind Kirk and cleared his throat, trying, but failing to hide his amusement.

"Soooo Sulu, did Ash catch you doing that… clumping…thing again?"

The helmsman just…stopped, shoulders drooping as he caught sight of the command team. He glared at the smile plastered across the Doctor's face.

"YES… and You can just shut up…. SIR."

Jim almost missed the dragon's slight flinch at Sulu's perceived insubordination. He caught her confused glance when the Doctor's grin just got bigger.

Ash's reaction to when he stepped out of Spock's shadow was much more exaggerated. The dragon shuffled a step back, shot a longing glance at the edge of the bluff, then slowly lowered herself until her head was almost on the ground, rolling it in such a way as to give him her throat.

Abby's quiet sob… and Scotty's softly murmured… "Ah lass….ya donna hava ta…" proved that the Captain was not the only one to recognize this act of total submission. Giving a subtle hand signal that meant…stay put…to the others, Jim stepped towards the motionless Draconian. Seeing one of his crew that afraid of him made Kirk's stomach twist with guilt. As he approached, Ash's golden gaze flicked towards the cliff edge and she shifted her weight as if thinking about running again, then she just closed both sets of eyelids and waited for whatever he was willing to dish out. Her scales lifted, shivering in a weird wave across her body…their hard edges vibrating together as they moved, creating a descending metallic whine that set Kirk's teeth on edge. Without thinking, the man knelt to lay a hand on the lean muzzle in an attempt to stop that unnerving sound. The dragon had endured several hard blows with a dura-steel blade with no sign of damage, but just the light touch of his hand made the skin under his fingers twitch as if she were anticipating pain.

"Ash, Please… I am so sorry… please look at me."

Both eyes flicked open at his command but the frightened, weary soul that peered out at him broke his heart. He did not know who or what had wounded his dragon in such a way that she lived her life with this kind of emotional damage…but damned if he wasn't going to try like hell to fix it. Instinctively he knew that nothing he could say would take that soul pain away. It was entrenched too deep. Carefully shifting his hand under her chin…Kirk applied pressure as he rose, forcing Ash's long head to lift with him. The dragon offered no resistance as he pulled her closer until he could press his forehead against hers. Her fringe lifted as he quietly whispered.

"Nothing I say is going to convince you that I would never hurt you." He tilted his head slightly towards the group that stood in silent support. Her head shifted with his…not breaking contact. "These people, my crew, YOU… you all are my family. Do I care for my…family? YES! Would I ever purposely hurt them? NO! Will I PROTECT them? YES…with everything that I am! You don't have to be bound by blood to be kin, Ash. I don't expect you to believe that I live by my words. Spock says you are a telepath…. please… let me SHOW you that I do!"

Warmth enveloped his hands as the dragon huffed out a soft breath. That same warmth enveloped his mind, but it did not intrude. It stayed patiently on the outside as if waiting for him to open a door. He did not have that ability, but he silently gave her the permission needed to do it for him. Then….

 _He showed her a childhood full of loss, devoid of love, fraught with the pain of abuse and the knowledge that he would never be good enough to live up to his father's name._

 _He showed her Tarsus IV, and how he carried the guilt of not being able to save all those that had become his responsibility._

 _He showed her the pain of failing to save the billions of souls lost in the destruction of Vulcan. He let her see the guilt he felt when he had coldly pushed Spock into attacking him that day on the bridge and the pain of knowing he was hurting someone to attain a goal. He showed her his determination that he would NEVER do that again, no matter the circumstances._

 _And lastly, he showed her the devotion that had given him the courage to step into certain death with no regrets, in order to save the ones that he considered his family…those souls that he had chosen to love._

When the memories ceased to flow… and the door was firmly closed, Kirk came to himself surrounded by a deep thrumming croon that seemed to vibrate his very bones. He could vaguely hear Bones concerned voice and Spock overriding the Doctor's desire to prematurely break the link. Ash had wrapped both hands around his waist, holding him up until he could get his weak knees to carry his weight. The crooning stopped, but before the dragon could pull her forehead away from his, Kirk whispered, "Do you understand now?"

Ash moved her muzzle up to release another warm breath against Kirk's face. Her black tongue flicked out to lift one of the tears that traced silently down the man's cheek. She took a slow, careful step back and rose to her full height. Then the dragon slowly opened both of her wings, her golden eyes watching as he moved to slide a hand down the length of one powerful limb. She blinked when gentle fingers traced twisted bone and ghosted over several areas where scarred wing sail had torn in her attempt to gain enough wing surface to glide. Before he called Bones over to treat the damage, Kirk met her steady gaze with one of acceptance and smiled as she softly rumbled…

"I do."

* * *

I am hoping that the next chapters will be easier. This one was a bugger to write but needed to be finished so Ash could grow. As always...your feedback in the form of reviews is greatly appreciated!


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